Eddie Spaghetti

Sundowner (2011)

Rich Cocksedge

I never really got it when the Supersuckers went country every now and then. To me, they were the perfect balls-out rock'n'roll band: super-charged, super-noisy and super-fun. However, time has mellowed me somewhat, but more importantly my musical tastes have broadened quite a lot, so listening to Eddie Spaghetti's third solo album–full of good ol' country songs–does not seem like a big leap anymore.

The interesting thing with this album is the choice of material that Spaghetti covers to add to his handful of original compositions. It's not just old standards by artists one would expect to be included, but also songs by the likes of the Dwarves ("Everybody's Girl") and the Lee Harvey Oswald Band ("Jesus Never Lived on Mars") with significantly more contemporary artists, as well as one track by Dean Martin ("Party Dolls and Wine")! Although all are done in a style that is country, it's performed in a quite a refreshing way, which can actually put a smile on your face even when the song content has that typical ever-so-downtrodden approach many–or at least I–associate with country music.

The result is an enjoyable album that is a bit more than just something to put your feet up and relax to as it contains a momentum throughout that doesn't allow it to be kept in the background–Sundowner certainly wouldn't be out of place at a party. Also, lyrically, there are quite a lot of things to try and get your head around, none more so than in "Girl on the Billboard" (originally be Del Reeves) where Spaghetti seems to perform oral gymnastics to get the words out–which also makes the content matter quite fun.

From the opening, self-penned "Never Thought I Would" Eddie Spaghetti takes you on a ride through the musical world in a country style that hints at something a bit beefier in terms of sound. Yes, there is a laid-back element to the tracks, but not without that feeling that it wouldn't take much to make them into something a bit more rock-sounding if desired.

The penultimate track is the excellent Supersuckers track "Marie", which is given a more melancholic delivery in solo form with the album closing with a track featuring Spaghetti's wonderfully named son, Quattro. This album truly surprised me and on one hand shows that yes, my tastes are now less defined than they were 15 years ago, and on the other hand, it shows I now have to seek out Eddie Spaghetti's other solo efforts as well.