The Hideout Sessions
Pravda, 2021
9/10
Listen to The Hideout Sessions
If Josh Caterer’s name sounds familiar to you, well, it should. The founder and frontman of the seminal Chicago pop-punk outfit Smoking Popes, him and his brothers brought their buzzing guitars and very distinct actual singing to the mid ‘90s punk scene.
On this release, Caterer is in the company of John San Juan (Hushdrops) and John Perrin (NRBQ) to lay down modern interpretations of songs that were recorded many decades ago, including some Smoking Popes classics, all tracked live to tape at the Chicago venue the Hideout.
“My Funny Valentine” starts the listen with a playful buzzing climate as Caterer’s unmistakable vocals sound as good as ever on this alt-rock influenced version, and “Rags To Riches” follows with a rhythmic, punchy delivery as thumping drums and swirling guitars make a big impression.
Closer to the middle, the calmer “I Only Have Eyes For You” flows with a powerful and emotive demeanor that’s even soulful, while “What Kind Of Fool Am I” carries an oldies spirit amid its modern rock sensibilities. “Need You Around”, one of Smoking Popes’ most known tunes, is stripped back here and slower, as Caterer proves that the love song has aged well (it was originally released in 1994).
Approaching the end is “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, which really showcases Caterer’s vocal range as the song builds into a busy display of crashing percussion and thick guitars, and “Someday I’ll Smile Again”, another Caterer original, exits the listen with much calm beauty that radiates a forthrightness not unlike The Smiths, but with plenty of guitar crunch.
An intimate, raw and sincere outing, Caterer and company float mostly around the area of power-pop, though not without Caterer’s punk roots at the surface, too, and it results in another exciting and well done body of work for an artist whose career has been unpredictable and always exciting since 1991.
Travels well with: Mo Kenney- Covers; Steve Almaas- Everywhere You’ve Been