Album Details

• Artist: The George Cahill Band
• Album: Relevant
• Label: Cinderella Records
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlita on 2012-04-05

Reading the bio of George Cahill, it's easy to feel inspired by the retired firefighter and real estate agent, who decided to form a band with friends and pursue his dream of recording music well into middle age. Couldn't help but think of this quote by Samuel Ullman while listening to "Relevant", that "years may wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul". This band has dichotomous (hippie and at times, anti-hippie) enthusiasm in spades, channeling it to poke fun at the morals and values our fishbowl of a society, cherish.  I'm sure George would agree with Bob Dylan that "times, they are a-changin" (and not necessarily for the better), refusing to pull any punches on social mores while addressing chemicals in the environment and those we willingly put in our bodies.

In 70's classic Americana/rock Willie Nelson/ pre-Tenacious D style, the band discusses avoiding a disaster by changing our ways on "Nuclear Fallout", inspired by the recent devastating Japanese  earthquake and nuclear plant threats that followed.  Moving on, George comically calls out stoner teens on the attention-catching, "Sucking on Weed", a song about potheads who think they're adults but have several life lessons to learn still. I dare the listener not to find the line, "You're 17 and you ain't been laid" humorous.

The addictive comfort we enjoy or hide behind at our fingertips gets a harsh lashing on the "Texting Song" ,singing " you're freakin making me crazy, you never used to be lazy".  Voicing the concerns of many, George woes the advancement of technology eliminating human contact.  Another noteworthy track, "Preacher Man", with comedic lyrics like "you can't touch me with a 10 foot pole, you're not the one who's going to save my soul" leaves no doubt his thoughts about the Catholic religion, tithe practices and pedophilia scandals. His astute commentary from having been there and done that, is not delivered in a condescending "darn whippersnappers, get off my lawn" way; "Relevant" (intentionally spelled or misspelled with an A on the cover) has the power to connect with the everyman (or woman).

User Reviews and Comments