Music, like life, has a funny way of surprising you.
That is what happened to me after attending the Jan. 11 “One Eleven” art show at Suddenly Samantha in Easton. There, I had the pleasure of listening to singer-guitarist Tony DiCarluccio and saxophonist Dan Freeman, of the band The Main Street Sweep, perform. (The group is based out of Lancaster, but DiCarluccio is a recent Easton transplant.)
Suddenly Samantha owner Stephen Flowers had offered plenty of praise of the band in conversations leading up to the event. He wasn’t lying.
I immediately dug the duo’s vibe as they delighted the packed room with a mix of original music and covers, including a wicked rendition of Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain.” Impressed, I made sure to leave with a copy of their May 2019 release, Idle Hands.
With an afternoon’s worth of errands to run Wednesday, I popped the CD into my car stereo as my afternoon soundtrack. (Yes, I still take advantage of a working compact disc player — which also means I probably should upgrade to a newer vehicle, but, like my ancient cellphone, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?).
I was blown away. The opening track, “Coffin for Two,” hit me immediately as the sound of rockabilly boogie and horns filled the space around me. Track after track, my head bounced and bopped along to the beat; “One Day,” “Not Worth Taking,” “Suffer the Rain,” “Ladies Drink for Free” — each one as catchy as the last.
The music itself is a ear-perking blend of third-wave ska, Social Distortion, and a pinch of Stray Cat swing. Suffice to say, the music reached deep into my bones.
What impressed the most is the amount of energy the band exudes on Idle Hands. There is hardly a moment to catch your breath — the closest being a somber piano-vocal intro on “No More Time,” before the rest of the band jumps in and brings the pace up to a roaring finish.
Idle Hands is not only a terrific LP, it is one of the strongest releases I have heard from a local, unsigned band in the nearly 20 years I have been writing about music — and, so far, my favorite album of 2020.