Published on Jun 5, 2001
Massachusetts-based The Stone Coyotes might be more famous right
now than they ever could have dreamed of, thanks to novelist Elmore
Leonard. After hearing the band play in a Los Angeles nightclub,
Leonard utilized the concept of the band – and some lyrics from
their songs – in his book
Be Cool.
Born To Howl, the third CD from The Stone Coyotes, suggests
that this family-based band has some chops to build a level of
success on, but that more development needs to occur – and that
might mean expansion of the band.
The group – vocalist/guitarist/pianist Barbara Keith, her
husband Doug Tibbles on drums, and their stepson John Tibbles on
bass – often is reminiscent of Talking Heads, with Keith’s
Alanis-meets-Joni Mitchell delivery of her vocals. Musically, the
band goes all over the map, mostly staying in a heavier
groove-laden rock pattern, but not afraid to skirt the edges of
country (by covering Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”) and folk (“Death Of
The American Song”).
There are plenty of moments on
Born To Howl that leave no doubt as to why listeners like
Leonard have fallen in love with The Stone Coyotes. Tracks like
“Torn Asunder” and “Rock It” have everything needed to capture the
listener, from a powerful guitar line to a catchy chorus. “American
Child” even calls on two legends of rock from different times –
Jerry Lee Lewis and the late Joey Ramone – to create a cry against
the state of rock music in 2001.
Yet there are times when
Born To Howl nearly collapses under its own weight. Part of
the problem is that the three band members just try to do too much
themselves. By relying solely on vocals, multi-tracked guitar, bass
and drums, it leaves little room for musical expansion. Adding in
something as simple as piano on “Detroit Or Buffalo” helps to
assure that this track becomes something special – a touch that
could have been used on a few other numbers like “Shake” and “Four
Times Gone”. Possibly adding a second guitarist or a keyboardist to
the group full-time would help free Keith up to more finely hone
her skills.
Sometimes, Keith’s songwriting skills do show that they need a
bit of sharpening. “Shake” is not a bad track until you get to the
rather plain, repetitive way of bringing the refrain to an end.
Likewise, “Four Times Gone” falls apart as Keith continuously
relies on counting to hammer the point of the song home – kind of
like swatting a fly with a Volkswagen. And the less said about
“Call Off Your Dogs,” the better – this is one track that needed at
least one more coat of paint.
Despite these flaws,
Born To Howl is a disc which grows on the listener, and
suggests that The Stone Coyotes are only getting better. Here’s
hoping their next disc does their fans – and Leonard – proud.