The Customers is one of those bands whose history threads through the recent history of Minneapolis music and off into the great wide world beyond, linking the good and the great of the contemporary American music scene with no small amount of local heroes. Our story starts in 1995, when a demo of main man Ryan Sexton’s songs found their way onto the desk of Elliot Roberts, a man with no small influence, being that he was the manager of one Neil Young.
Many shows were played, an album released and plenty of songs were written, but for reasons probably known only to the gods of music, no follow-up album ever saw the light of day. Until now, that is. Well, when they say that good things come to he who waits, they weren’t kidding. Both about the good stuff and the time we had to wait! Still, no matter, The Customers have finally issued their sophomore sonic salvo, Sweet Fatality, and it is a cracker.
Having gathered a cast of players whose resumes list everyone from Soul Asylum to Richard Hell to Luther Vandross to more recent ventures such as The Scarlet Goodbye, he assembled one heck of a band. With none other than Kevin Bowe at the production helm, this long-awaited collection of post-punk meets Americana meets accessible alt-rock kicks off with the glorious “One Delight”, a glorious mixture of musical light and shade, buoyancy, and garage rock density.
A great way to set the scene, but such is the nature of the adventurous spirit of the album that no one song can sum up its intricacies and unique selling points. “The Duel”, for example, is a dark rock and roll ballad, acoustically driven and slightly world-weary.
Elsewhere songs like “Forgot The Reason” is upbeat and humourous, a rock and roll bar drinking song if ever there was one, “All Over Town” is a low-slung groover, “Maybe Wednesday” is a rock anthem with a pop heart, infectious and accessible, and “Everything” puts things to bed nicely in a slow, slinky and sensual fashion.
Worth the wait? I’ll say! Don’t leave it so long next time, perhaps!
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