| The Great Crusades - Damaged Goods |
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7 (out of 10) Don’t let the title of the second CD from these local rocksters fool you, because if rock ‘n’ roll can be saved in this millennium, its saviors just might be the Great Crusades. Springing from the mind of lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Krumm, the songs on Damaged Goods are inspired by his move to Chicago in 1998 and subsequent experiences he and his band shared with places and names familiar to many IE readers. Adding further local resonance is the ambient recording—in a basement, on a street corner—that ends up capturing any number of errant sounds. Combining truly inspired lyrics with the band’s solid musicianship, the result is a classic case of song as story/story as song, propelled with honest rock abandon. With his husky/whiskey voice, Krumm sings tales of one-night stands and people of the street, of long-distance drives and backstage pickups—in short, stories of love and life. If the band’s influences are worn on their sleeves—the raffishness of, say, the Kinks, or the hooks of a Badfinger charged by a dose of Replacements—one can’t deny that the Crusades wear them well. Back-to-back mid-CD cuts “Bernadette” and “Don’t Know Who You Are” literally track into each other to form a seamless tour de force of sound. “Chevy Nova” crests on south-of-the-border horns and drive-by female vocals, and “Name I Don’t Recall” is about as good a balls-out, beer-soaked rockin’ rave as you can get. This is one of the most impressive recorded efforts these ears have heard from a local group in many, many years. Can’t wait to see ‘em live. David C. Eldredge |
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