Altsounds - Butch Walker and The Let's Out Tonites!

Butch Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonites! is the brainchild of a man whose real name is not Butch Walker, whose favourite word is ****le, and who is at the same time a solo-artist and in a band. Confusing? I think it is supposed to be. The creative centre of this act is in fact self-named Butch Walker, who writes and produces his own music. The whole ‘Let’s Go Out Tonites!’ is a backing band, but it seems that it is more in the style of Buddy Holly and The Crickets or Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers where the backing band really is just the backing band. And the whole ****le thing…he states ‘its like one of those pug/beagle hybrids but in a cuss word.’ This guy doesn’t stop at making up words either…he tends to create his own phrases for things too, like ‘walking in someone’s yard’ as a term for being stared at in club like you don’t belong there. All this and I haven’t even mentioned the music yet.

The album is called The Rise and Fall of, a play on a David Bowie album title, and in itself the mood rises and falls. The album starts out with a chorus of oohs and aahs, a track aptly titled ‘OOOH…AAAH…’ and breaks into an upbeat song called ‘Hot Girls in Good Moods’ that sounds very classic like Queen or Jet (who I know are a modern band, but they have that sounds about them…) and is something of a love song without sounding like one. The following tracks have a similar sound to them, and tend to be quite catchy and mood lifting. The track ‘Too Famous to Get Fully Dressed’ also lends its name to his tour and is the final track in the upbeat section of the album, and features stabbing guitar riffs and a way too catchy vocal melody.

‘We’re All Going Down’ lowers the mood of the album and it paints a picture of a sleepless night where the only thing to do is go for a drive and clear your head. The music and vocal features suit the theme well and while I tend to like upbeat music more as a whole, this song just catches me in that way that pulls at my heart and head and is instantly a favourite of mine. The strings and vocal layers that come in at the end seem to be perfectly placed and very well done. The strings continue in the next song ‘Dominos’ complimented by piano. Once again, I hear a harking to the same sound as Jet, as if both bands are trying for the same feeling and atmosphere. Where Walker has shown in the beginning that he has incredible talent to write an upbeat radio hit, he also demonstrates that his low-key side is just as incredible.

The rest of the album plateaus somewhere between his peppy numbers and his softer ballads and is chockfull of social commentary and more catchy tunes. One song even has a country twang to it. The last song ‘When Canyons Ruled The City’ is good, and seems to end the album on an impressive, subdued note with a vocal sing-a-long chorus. However, none are very remarkable, and his best songs tend to be all at the beginning of the album. Overall, Butch Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonites! are a fabulous band with loads of talent and even more character. The music, while very good, could easily be carried even further by the frontman whose opinion of the world and the music scene is sure to raise eyebrows and make loyal fans. Definitely read his myspace to get a better idea of the man behind the name, it can only make a positive adjustment to your view of his music.
www.myspace.com/butchwalker
www.butchwalker.com