‘Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth’ Album Review
*** (3-Stars)
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Buy the album here}
There is something refreshing about music that’s organic and no-nonsense. If you love earsplitting guitars, bleeding drums and a bass line with enough rhythm to make a white man blush, then you will love Steve Conte & Crazy Truth and their latest self-titled album. Conte has made a name for himself over the years as a gun slinging guitar god. Playing for everyone from Chuck Berry to Paul Simon, Conte is a staple of the east coast music scene. For the last half decade, he has been lead guitarist for the reformed New York Dolls. While having virtuoso abilities, he’s able to deconstruct a riff through garage rock and bluesy fills evoking a whiff of nostalgia. He fits in perfectly with the Dolls and if you’ve been fortunate enough to see them in concert, you know what an impression Conte leaves on you. Stepping into the shoes of Johnny Thunders should be an impossible task, but Conte merely walks in his own shoes making the transition seamless. His enthusiasm for the material, past and present, is on full display for everyone to stand in awe of and more than anything, he pledges allegiance to the history of rock n’ roll with each performance.He now has recently released a new studio record with him on vocal and guitar duties, Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth, a raw and riveting collection of songs. The hell bent opening drum fill leads into a defiant riff and a scalding vocal by Conte on “This Is The End”. Making their presence known right from the get go they do not relent for eleven songs. The disc comes in at under forty-minutes, so expect a lot of simple and to the point rockers. “Gypsy Cab” distills multiple genres with bluesy sway while “Texas T” has an arrangement that comes at you with barreled damnation. “The Truth Ain’t Pretty” is lean and direct while “Her Highness” is clawing, If you love the electric guitar, then grab this record, you can do no wrong. Conte’s guitar let off an iridescent twang that never overshadow the song but prove to be perfect adornment. I think I could listen to a whole album of instrumentals by Conte. The languid “Busload of Hope” may be the album’s best track. The guitar hides in the background providing mood and atmosphere while the lyrics and swampy rhythm section take you through a noir-like journey.
The immediacy of Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth is infectious and at less than forty-minutes, it captures you in a maelstrom of rock n’ roll awesomeness. I’m not lying; it’s raw, real and feels like its being performed mere feet in front of you. The next time you talk about how you miss old time rock n’ roll, look no further than Steve Conte & The Crazy Truth, they’ll provide you with a potent dose of much needed rock.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
