This is a really great CD. I like it very much.
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This quator from Richmond, Virginia takes his name from one member of the Memphis Mafia, whose job was to bring burgers to Elvis whenever he needed it. With such a name it's no surprise to hear the influence of the King all along this album (that comes in a well designed digipack by the way). But influence doesn't mean copy. They just take some elements, from the Sun days (That's Allright) to the 60's (Little Sister) via the classic RCA 50's sound (Red Dress features some fine Scotty Moore licks), assimilate them and turn them their own to give their brand of rockabilly/rock'n'roll, a music with roots but not dated, with a majority of self penned songs.
Andy Vaughan, the lead singer, has a great voice that finds him equally at ease with straight rockabilly, wild rock àla Little Richard ("Rumble Tonight") or the soulfull "Are You One?" that features an Hammond B3, I bet those who like The Paladins' "You & I" will love this one too.
Country music is well represented too with notably "12 Ounces At A Time", a solid honky tonk with piano and the Cash-esque "The Story Of Hamburger James". "Wait For The Morning" is one of my very fave, a beautiful ballad with Roy Orbison's accents that wouldn't be out of place in Chris Isaak's set. A female guest singer, Jennifer Vaughan, is present on Janis Martin's Bang Bang, a way to pay hommage to the rockabilly queen the band backed as one of their first gig.
Plenty of styles for a solid and original debut album.
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The intention of this band is very clear after just one listen– to draw upon the formative years of rock and roll (when blues, jazz, country and pop all got tossed into the mixing bowl and stirred together – Elvis’ first Sun recordings did exactly that) and build upon that tradition. 

This band is subtle – there’s some keen attention to detail in each of the songs and they get it all right - rockabilly, honky-tonk, soul, country... these guys have obviously spent some time honing the sounds of their heroes. Case in point - the drummer is a serious mo-fo; just listen to his ability to shift styles on each track – and he nails each one. The guy would have been first call on any early sixties Nashville sessions. 

The addition of piano to “12 ounces at a Time” is a spot-on example of mid-sixties honky – tonk. This is easily one of my favorite tracks on the cd. 

"Are You the One?" is a nod to the Muscle Shoals sound.They pull it off well, complete with slinky Mayfield guitar slides and licks and hovering Hammond B-3 in the background. 

The most identifying trademark of Hamburger James though, is the lead singer’s voice. He sounds just like the “Tough Guy” he sings about – looks like him too, if that’s him on the right of the cd cover. His range and tone are perfect for rootsy rock and roll. He’s got a real strong mid-ranged voice and he seems at ease singing over the many different styles the band rolls through. 

There are female vocals on one track "Bang Bang," which faithfully recreate a late fifties vibe, complete with slapback echo. 

Their real strong suit though, not discounting the above-mentioned musicianship and fine lead vocals, is their songwriting. The original tunes (which comprise the bulk of the cd) are very good songs and catchy as hell. “Wait for the Morning” would sit perfectly on a Roy Orbison or Dwight Yoakam cd. “Money Sense” would’ve made Buck Owens proud. What I especially notice is that there’s little to no irony in any of the songs – they’re straight, honest-to-goodness, bona-fide, well-written tunes. These guys are real serious about their songwriting, even when the tunes are playful. 

I really like this cd and I've already put several of the tunes on mixes I've made, sitting comfortably in-between heavyweights like Elvis and Johnny.
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This is one of the better Rocabilly / Rock and Roll bands I have seen and had the pleasure to play with in a long long time!  Make sure you pick up this CD!  lots and lots of great songs as well as a select number of covers that really show Hamburger James' influences!!  You won't be disappointed!

Unkle Hank...
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