CBDB have unearthed a combination shared by only a handful of popular jam bands: lyrical mastery coupled with equally impressive jamming techniques. Most bands of this nature have obviously achieved a high level of musical maneuver. Rarely, however, do their lyrics match the finesse of their groovy bass guitars, rumbling keys and psychedelic pedals. CBDB, who hail from Tuscaloosa, have it both ways. The empathetic maturity displayed in Cy Simonton’s lyrics rivals that of an experienced singer-songwriter, while the band also advances their musicality constantly, gathering extra jam points for having a flex saxophonist.
The band’s April 6 show at Druid City Music Hall was a microcosm of the band’s expanding abilities on both fronts. They performed some of their more wordy tracks like “Slow Foxes” and “She’s Mobile,” though compared to some of the band’s shows from a few years ago – or even just one year ago – this show saw the five-piece group taking a decidedly more jam band route.
While CBDB was playing 12- to 15-song set lists in 2016, now they’re playing six- to 10-song set lists with each track lasting several minutes and stretching down an ever-winding instrument-heavy path. At the group’s last Tuscaloosa show in September, the beginnings of a jam set list model were evident. Friday’s show was almost 100 percent jam. The guitar solos were longer, the saxophone solos better and the bass lines groovier.
During Friday’s show, the band played their most-streamed hit, “New Eyes,” off their 2015 LP “Joyfunk Is Dead.” The song is highly repetitive and expertly delivers a twangy guitar riff indicative of the band’s southern influences. It clocks in at about three minutes when you stream it, but CBDB found a way to extend the song to upwards of 10 minutes, as they did with other tracks during the show. The song, which packs in a great story, only has one verse of lyrics, thus making it flexible for jamming.
For about half the song, all you hear is Simonton singing “I’ve got this new love / She’s keen on everything / She sees everything with new eyes.”
The story could index any number of relationships – parental, romantic or otherwise – which is one of the reasons it’s such a great track. We can hear both the song’s heart and the song’s musical capability.
CBDB also performed one of their newest tracks, “Unintentional Liar,” which will be featured on their newest record, “Out of Line,” – out May 5. It’s a traditional track, but the band’s (again) extended performance of the song could index their move towards an entirely jam-centered catalogue.
During Friday’s show, CBDB displayed their abilities to balance supremely the musical demands of jamming with maintaining heartfelt lyrics. They’ve built their fanbase (within Tuscaloosa and beyond) by writing superb, empathetic lyrics. They’ve expanded their fanbase by touring across the Southeast and the country, implementing jam tactics along the way. Based on Friday’s packed show, we could expect to see CBDB soon joining the ranks of widely adored jam bands like Widespread Panic, Perpetual Groove and Twiddle. They’re pushing a jam trajectory, and it seems to be paying off.
