REVIEW: Super Chikan, What You See (Fat Possum)
- Dave Kemper
Somewhere down in the south, there's a crossroads where the blues, swamp rock, a dollop of N'Awlins R&B, and a hint of funk come together. This is where you'll find Super Chikan.
Born James Louis Johnson, "Super Chikan" sings and plays guitar and keyboards. He's backed on this album by a basic rhythm section of bass and drums. This is his second album, and his first for Fat Possum Records.
The closing instrumental, "Fighting Cock," encapsulates both the strengths and the weaknesses of this album. The music is undeniably well-played; the rhythm section never relents on the groove it establishes, and you can tell by the boisterous yelling, whistling, and clapping, that everyone's having a good ol' time. But the song is basically just a couple of riffs repeated to death. There's some guitar soloing in the middle to mix things up a bit, but that doesn't entirely manage to shake the feeling that the song structure could have used a few more musical ideas along the way. The songs with lyrics exhibit the same tendency; in many cases the lyrics are simple and repetitive.
But this isn't music for analysis and dissection; this is music for partying and dancing, and in that role it serves admirably, with highlights such as the funky groove of "Okie Doak", the fuzz guitar and scat-like singing in "Wille Brown Jr.", and the catchy saxophone riff in "Ain't Nobody." Producers Matthew Johnson and Bruce Watson occasionally mix in the sounds of a small crowd whoopin' it up, and the final track is accompanied by the clinking of bottles, so there's little question this is a party record. And a total running time of a mere 34:35 lowers your chances of getting tired of it before it's over.
A couple of the songs exhibit a lyrical cleverness too, such as "You Said"'s story of a man recognizing his lover's infidelity through her expensive hairdo's disheveled state, and the yodeling's-for-white-boys message of "Big Boy Now," which also demonstrates where the nickname "Super Chikan" might have come from.
Super Chikan has a good singing voice, strong but laid-back, easily handling styles ranging from the smooth timbre of "Ain't Nobody" to the rawer, bluesier manner of "What Ya See." His guitar playing is also the strongest part of the musical backdrop.
Ultimately, What You See has a sound all its own. Individual songs may be on the repetitive side, but there's a good mix of styles, and a good dose of fun.
