Adam's House Cat may not be a name known to many, but Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers fame are likely to resonate further, especially with those at the cutting edge of alt-country before it morphed into Americana. In the late 80's/early 90's prior to Cooley and Hood forming the band that would lead them into some resemblance of the promised land, they hung around Muscle Shoals Alabama playing a raw form of distinctive rock 'n' roll under the moniker of the aforementioned name. Now twenty seven years after the tracks for TOWN BURNED DOWN had a premature birth, they have finally been re-discovered, brushed up a touch and turned into a somewhat commercial format to formalise what Adam's House Cat were about during their brief existence.
The result is twelve rip roaring tracks heavy on the rock 'n' roll duo of driving guitar and upbeat percussion. 'Runaway Train' is the standout track by a fair distance, although not to the extent of neglecting slipping on the record for an entire play. It captures the spirit of a time when doors were being knocked and aspirations to be the best you can were relayed in the mood of the music.
In reality the release of this album has likely brought closure to an unfinished project. The increased likelihood is that its shelf life will be contained within the existing empire of the Drive-By Truckers, but that at least is not a place to be sniffed at.
TOWN BURNED DOWN was released for all to hear via ATO Records on September 21st and if you have the desire to track it down, the forty-five minutes of nostalgia to what fledgling bands were up to back in the day will not be a excursion laid to waste. Adam's House Cat MK II in 2018 is likely to be fleeting, but not a project without plenty of merit.
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