Catfish Haven - Tell Me

can drift a little too far into shallow waters

Album Review by Billy Hamilton | 13 Oct 2006
Album title: Tell Me
Artist: Catfish Haven
Label: Secretly Canadian
A fresh water inhabitant, the catfish is easily recognisable by its scale-free, feline features. Aesthetically intriguing and relatively docile, it's one of nature's more appeasing vertebrates. In a similar fashion, Catfish Haven's debut LP 'Tell Me' contains all the charm of our broadfaced friend. Unfortunately, in doing so, this blues based record can produce just as blunt a bite. The sultry voice of George Hunter schmoozes over the sugar spun soul of All I Need and Let It Go like a sultry Otis Redding. But, every so often, this acoustically driven group slip into lacklustre Counting Crows balladry on the likes of This Time and If I Was Right. With such sporadic ambivalence, the band can drift a little too far into shallow waters. However, on the joyous sound of Crazy For Leaving, 'Tell Me' refills its gills to leave you purring like a catfish out of water. [Billy Hamilton]
Tell Me' is out on September 12. http://www.secretlycanadian.com