Nat Freedberg – Better Late Than Never

It only took 30 years for Nat Freedberg to put out a solo LP. All kidding aside, he’s been part of the Boston music scene since ’81 but had never released a record under his own name. And so, we get the appropriately titled Better Late Than Never. It was worth the wait. Really.

Freedberg’s voice is easy to like as it has real character. And his band, well, they’ve got a seriously good garage-blues sensibility. Together, they make for a pretty spectacular sounding unit.

The opening track, “Devil Rockin’ Man” has a big sound and the kind of chorus that sticks with you. If you need a frame of reference, it would have fit right in on The Fleshtones’ Powerstance! album had the song been born in 1991.

The title track is a real treat. Kevin Barry’s guitar weave acts as the hook that carries the rest of the tune perfectly. It corkscrews its way right into your cerebral cortex. While the tempo slows down a bit with “Only Takes a Minute”, it’s no less engaging than the songs before it. A hooky chorus and more ringing guitars make this one an absolute winner.

If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, then you know that I’ve been a Ducky Carlisle fan since his days in Syracuse, NY. So it’s no wonder that he’s turned up on another album that hits the target for me. This time, he plays drums as well as acting as the album’s producer. Another job well done for Ducky.

Nat Freedberg’s Better Late Than Never is available now through Rum Bar Records. GET IT HERE.