Quite gloriously, there appears to be a wealth of male singer-songwriters emerging with more to say than just meaningless platitudes about lost love. The raconteur is stepping forward again, with songs akin to short stories – personal anecdotes that you don't empathise with, but you can at the very least appreciate what's being said.
'That's That' by Cass McCombs isn't a bad single. Most of the benchmarks of good exemplars of the genre are there. Good voice? Check. Plenty of range – high to low in one easy step. It's emotive and it's sincere. Good lyrics? Check. “So I got a job cleaning toilets in Baltimore,” isn't your standard “I love you, la-de-dah” kind of moment. Good tune? Well, it's okay. It's bass heavy and pretty pleasant, but it's still quite forgettable; Jeff Buckley as performed by The Police. It meanders about a little bit, and the killer hook just isn't there. There's an 80's rock feel to it that sits a little uncomfortably. It teeters on being cheesy and thus takes something away from the song.
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As a single, it's a taster of what Cass McCombs might be about. Definitely enough to make you want to hear the album, but it's not going to be in your top ten list come the end of the year. But it promotes the album and that's essentially what a single is there for. Further listening is certainly recommended.
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