As with the original records from Buddy Holly himself, this material was meant to be seen live and not merely heard. The Chicago-based Josh Solomon & the Empty Pockets (http://www.joshsolomon.com) are probably a blast on stage, but on record they're merely a fairly good Buddy Holly tribute band.
It's hard to have high expectations for a CD of covers, especially consisting of a single artist. What's harder is that Holly was such an iconic rock & roll figure, a one-of-a-kind superstar that is nearly impossible to match. Thankfully, Solomon and his lads don't try to imitate Holly too closely; there wouldn't be any purpose in paint-by-numbers remakes.
If anything, "Celebrate Buddy Holly" is a reminder of rock & roll's golden innocence. And you've heard the classics millions of times already - why not give a newbie a shot at them? The Empty Pockets unleash "Peggy Sue" and "Oh Boy" with breathless energy. In fact, this version of "Peggy Sue" could easily be mistaken for today's indie rock for its relentless guitar alone. However, the Empty Pockets reinvigorate "Peggy Sue" without sacrificing melody. It is still the same catchy song but with an extra shot of adrenaline.
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Solomon's vocals aren't as nerdy or as quirky as Holly's, and while that might seem like a drawback, it's actually good that he is finding his own voice with this vintage material.
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