With a sound that could be described as the Blues Brothers meets the Stray Cats on Route 66, Connor McKeon’s impressive big band includes some of the country’s finest session musicians. Among them are James Blennerhasset, Rod McVey, Michael Buckley and Bill Shanley (the RTÉ Concert Orchestra are on several tracks too). The result is a meaty, big-budget sound rooted in classic vintage American styles, encompassing the entire swing/jazz /blues/rockabilly/soul tradition – updated and superbly produced.
Rocking originals such as ‘Baby Shot Me Down’, ‘Naked’ and ‘Here Comes The Boogie Man’ might seem derivative, but they capture the spirit of the era by which they are inspired. It’s not entirely about looking back either – ‘In One Ear’ veers towards Amy Winehouse nu-soul, while ‘Dance With Me’ is Mavericks-style country rock. Conor and The Crooks are sure to be fantastic in a live setting.