Catfish Haven
Tell Me
(Secretly Canadian)
Catfish Haven is comprised of three shaggy-haired fellas based in Chicago. (The Windy City’s soul-blues sound comes through explicitly on “Down by Your Fire.”) George Hunter, singer/ acoustic guitarist, took the band name from the trailer he lived in for part of his life in Missouri. Hunter and cohorts—Miguel Castillo, bass, and Ryan Famham on drums—have infused their work with Stax Records-styled Southern soul. All you’d need on Tell Me’s tunes, such as “I Don’t Worry” and “All I Need is You,” is Isaac Hayes guest-appearing on vocals and a horn section. That latter track will remind many of Servo and Jimmy Swift, bands that have nodded directly toward soul legacies.
—Sean Flinn
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
