Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

The problem with retro-swing is that it's better in live performance than it is on record. That has been said of a lot of music, from the blues and jazz to punk rock, but that's all a matter of taste. With retro-swing, it's all about the moment -- dressing up for the night and dancing to the swinging sounds. In concert, it doesn't matter if the singer is out of tune or if the covers are predictable or if the new tunes are unremarkable or if the band is merely competent, since it all suits the atmosphere. Put that on record, and it doesn't quite work. That's the problem with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's second major-label album, This Beautiful Life. BBVD is undeniably one of the biggest retro-swing groups -- it was the house band in Doug Liman's Swingers, the film that brought the whole underground movement to the mainstream -- even if the band never had a crossover hit on the level of the Squirrel Nut Zippers or Cherry Poppin' Daddies. BBVD nevertheless delivered live and held its own on record. The thing is, that doesn't make the band members compelling recording artists. This Beautiful Life pretty much takes the same road as the band's eponymous debut, falling somewhere between Louis Jordan and Sinatra, all performed with a wink and grin. BBVD isn't bad at this -- it just isn't exceptional. It keeps the energy up and hits all the right notes, but the music is never actively engaging. Part of the problem is that the lead singer is flat and bland, which keeps the listener somewhat at bay, but the larger problem is that it's impossible not to compare BBVD to its influences when its members are heard solely as recording artists. It's too easy to notice that the band never improvises or cuts loose. Similarly, the well-intentioned, humorous covers of "Ol' MacDonald" (Sinatra's version, of course) and Disney's The Jungle Book's "I Wanna Be Like You" fall flat on record, where they surely would energize a live crowd. This may seem a little harsh, but it's hard not to listen to This Beautiful Life and realize that while it's pleasant, if heard in concert the music would be livelier. Not a bad record -- about as good as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, actually -- but not really engaging, either.