According to the press blurb provided with Four Thirty, Midwestern natives The Great Crusades approached the songwriting process for their latest album in a way thus far unique to the band: the lyrics were written after the music, created to fit around the existing song structure. While I'm sure that some artists may be able to pull this off, the result in this case is less than stellar and often feels uninspired, with little apparent emotional connection between the sound the band creates and the words coming out of the vocalist's mouth. "Porch Song" and "Billy Smashes it Up" are especially guilty of this, with gems like "Only time I gotta move is when I take a whiz" and the baffling "Billy, why'd you have to kill me? / Why'd you have to do me like that. / I said you were fat? / I didn't mean that."
Along with this laid-back approach to writing their songs, the band also confess to having recorded portions of Four Thirty on the fly, with the aim of capturing the energy of their live performances and giving the album a more natural feel. I have to admit; I could see the band in my minds eyes - a close group of friends, sharing bourbon or two, exchanging smiles as they jam. The characters of Four Thirty are almost always down and out of luck, spending their last buck on another beer, yet they seem happy nonetheless.
If I had to label the band as anything, I'd call them unsophisticated rock and roll, comparable to the likes of Danko Jones. The Great Crusades probably won't wind up as your favorite band, but their bluesy New Orleans sound isn't likely to offend. Like a good-natured drunk, Four Thirty is merry and, above all, harmless. You'll laugh at his misfortune, and maybe buy him beer in exchange for another story. After a while, all the stories will blend into one, the details overlapping - but for the hour that you're together, he puts a smile on your face and sets you in a warm mood for the night ahead.
