Let The Chicks Fall Where They May – Christopher Thelen

These days, it almost seems like more bands are doing rockabilly
than there were bands who originally created the genre back in the
’50s. This type of “retro rock” can help the listener gain an
appreciation for the roots of the music they’ve grown up with – if
done correctly.

One look at
Let The Chicks Fall Where They May, the debut release from
The Sprague Brothers, and you know that there’s something wrong
with this picture. At first, I honestly thought this was going to
be a novelty record with a focux on sex. I mean, with cover art
featuring two scantily-clad women reaching up for the artists’
groins, that would be a natural expectation, right? (Then again,
who knows? With that kind of art, this could have been Aerosmith
going incognito.)

Instead, what Chris and Frank Sprague create is a hybrid of
rockabilly and swing, and roll it into one package. Sometimes it
works, sometimes it doesn’t. When the band is on, the music can do
no wrong. When they’re off, though, it’s hard keeping your eyes
open.

The actual core of the band is sparse, with Frank on lead guitar
and vocals, and Chris on drums and vocals. With an array of friends
filling in on the missing instruments, the sound of The Sprague
Brothers is made richer – good thing, too, ’cause I honestly
couldn’t picture just the two instruments making up the music.

Initially, there is a lot to smile about on
Let The Chicks Fall Where They May. Songs like “Deceived,”
“Hardship” and “She’s Lost” all demonstrate that this form of roots
rock is alive, well and thriving. It’s also worthwhile noting that
almost every song on this album came from the pen of at least one
Sprague, and the covers all pay fitting homage to their authors,
like their take on Fats Domino’s “I’m Ready”.

But
Let The Chicks Fall Where They May has one true enemy on its
side: indifference. While they may be talented songwriters and
musicians, sometimes the music doesn’t come across with this
information, leaving the listener a bit bored. (It took me several
tries before I could get through this album – which is still
relatively short – in one sitting and with comprehension of
everything I had listened to.) Tracks like “Battle Of The Bands”
and “How Far Will I Fall” just don’t have the kind of pizazz needed
to convince the typical listener that rockabilly is still relevant
today.

Granted, this is a first recorded effort from The Sprague
Brothers, and I’m sure that the passage of time will cure some of
the ills that ail this album. But unless you’re a diehard
rockabilly fan,
Let The Chicks Fall Where They May is an album that doesn’t
show nearly as much of the promise that it had in the
beginning.