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Apr 20, 2021 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

What did you do during lockdown? Well, Smoking Popes frontman Josh Caterer got together a brand new trio to record a rollicking selection of smooth songs infused by his trademark soulful vocals and crunchy guitar, with plenty of musical ingenuity besides.

On October 28th, 2020, Caterer joined forces with John San Juan (Hushdrops) and John Perrin (NRBQ) to rock out 21st century versions of songs your grandparents used to dance to back in the day. And so what we are given is a treasure trove which ranges from opener “My Funny Valentine,” the crunchy “I Only Have Eyes For You,” a soulful rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” all the way through to closer “Someday I’ll Smile Again,” which builds through a satisfyingly lengthy and ultimately cacophonous crescendo to a beautiful climax. Josh Caterer should be a treasured artist already. If he isn’t, here is more evidence that that ought to change. We can’t wait to be out of lockdown, but hopefully this new trio will see the light of day again and be enjoyed by the adoring crowds they deserve. (www.facebook.com/joshcaterer/)

Author rating: 7/10