The Devil Always Collects

Brian Setzer, in a career entering its fifth decade as of 2023, has restored not one Americana genre to popularity, but two: During the 80s with the chart-topping Stray Cats, he revived rockabilly (it was only marginally popular in the 50s). In the 90s he formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra, spreading big-band jump and swing to the alt rock generation. In the 21st century, hes recorded live more often than in the studio. Following a 2019 Stray Cats reunion, he issued the excellent Gotta Have the Rumble in 2021 after a seven-year studio hiatus. The Devil Always Collects was recorded at The Terrarium in Minneapolis, and co-produed by Setzer and Julian Raymond. The 11-song set contains eight Setzer originals: Five co-written with Mike Himelstein, one with spouse Julie Setzer, and three covers. Longtime friend and collaborator Kevin McKendree played piano, organ, and musical director to a cast of studio musicians and backing vocalists. While firmly based in rockabilly/roots rock style, the writing is imaginative and focused while the charts are loads of canny fun. Its first single, "Girl on a Billboard" (co-written by Hank Mills and Walter Haynes, and recorded by Del Reeves), weds the maniacal, Link Wray-esque, tasty, riff and roll rumble to evocative lyrics and a showmans intensity. The title track, played at a blistering tempo, is what rockabilly as hardcore might sound like. Its popping upright bass (played by David Spicher) offers the driving pace as Setzer reflects everyone from Chuck Berry and Dale Hawkins to Dorsey Burnette in his playing. The dual lead guitars in the intro to his "Black Leather Jacket" frame a burning theatrical rocker narrative in a minor key with retro, 70s-style twin lead guitar breaks. Speaking of the 70s, Nick Lowes swaggering roots rocker "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)" was originally recorded by pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz in 1973, but Setzers rowdy, rollicking, good-time version uses vintage instrumentation, an unruly female backing chorus, and modern production techniques. Its followed by "A Dudell Do (What a Dudell Do)," a biting, bumping, rockabilly strutter Setzer and Himelstein co-wrote, with Spichers upright bass bomb guiding band as Setzer engages in spiraling guitar pyrotechnics. The hilarious, swamp boogie of "Psycho Suzie" was co-composed with spouse Julie Setzer (she also serves in the albums backing chorus). Juxtaposing a furious, power riffing, hardcore rockabilly stomp, Setzer (and the backing chorus on the refrain) channels the dynamic, growling ghost of Billy Lee Riley on the humorous lyric. Musically, he combines the vocal harmonies of the Everly Brothers with the rocking, countrified guitar attack of Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincents Blue Caps). It ends with "One Particular Chick," a fingerpopping story song that weds blues, jump, swing, and rock & roll. While impossible to stylistically separate The Devil Always Collects from Setzers previous output (and why would you?), its more polished, immediate, and even modern sounding with no compromise to the music. In other words, this is prime, deeply inspired Setzer. ~ Thom Jurek