Album Review: Low Cut Connie – Art Dealers

“I’m a song and dance man” claims Adam Weiner, aka Low Cut Connie, on Art Dealers‘ opening track “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know.” But Weiner is far more than that; he’s a true blue rock and roller, throwing back to the early days of piano-led R&B, funk, boogie-woogie and soul.

When he does this well, which he often does on his latest album, you may think you’re hearing a lost classic from a bygone era. Take single “Are You Gonna Run?”, a classic rocker with a melody out of the Elton John playbook, with the beating heartland lyrical soul that made Tom Petty‘s songs such universal diamonds. On “Sleaze Me On”, Weiner dips into funky soul grooves, with a sprinkle of psychedelia that dazzles up lines like “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of a dream and I don’t want to let it go.”

“Don’t Get Fresh With Me” is the best gospel song you’ll hear from a Jewish singer this year, seconded only by the tongue-in-cheek titled “King of the Jews” that comes in later. There are a number of moments on the album where Weiner goes for the grandiose, especially on the nostalgic title track, with its stark lyrics “All of our friends were living up town, painting the bridges and flaming around” buffed up by spacious atmosphere.

Low Cut Connie runs the gamut with his influences and styles on Art Dealers, to varying degrees of success. “Big Boy” has the chug of a Creedence song, and he gets down and dirty in the garage with the bluesy “Whips and Chain.” Slower tracks like “Wonderful Boy” test out Weiner’s falsetto, though the track is so light it floats away from memory. Better is “Take Me to the Place,” which is a lounge/indie rock hybrid that is elevated by latin-influenced rhythm and a spicy, spirited third act.

While LCC’s versatility is impressive, he continues to excel at the party rock n’ roll that earned him a passionate live following. He’s able to craft complex rave-ups (like “I Don’t Understand You”) that send shivers through you, and all the players joining Weiner on the album are more than game, adding dirty guitar solos, versatile percussion, and perfectly harmonized backing vocals.

This is maybe why “The Party’s Over” is a perfect closer for the album – a stripped-down acoustic track that calls out the struggle to survive in the rock business (“Who’s gonna listen to my song after everyone is gone? I guess the party’s over. We gotta boogie on down the road.”) while also adding a fitting denouement to Art Dealers, which is certainly one helluva party right up until the end.

Listen to the full album on September 8th, and hear the pre-released tracks here.