Review / 200 Words Or Less
Jeff Caudill
Try to be Here

Fortunate Son (2009) Sean K.

Jeff Caudill – Try to be Here cover artwork
Jeff Caudill – Try to be Here — Fortunate Son, 2009

Rising from the remains of the pop-punkers Gameface, Jeff Caudill heads out on the road by himself on this trip. Well, not exactly. He does the consistency of the producing and also being the drummer for this project. Also involved is none other than Robbie Rist (yes-"Oliver" from The Brady Bunch!) Check out YouTube for a funny clip of Robbie destroying his image so to speak. But the songs are what we really need to veer back to here. Real stories are being told here, about broken lives and buried dreams. "Stay Home" offers up a nice groove and some pleasant piano over Jeff's singing. "Spend" brings a bit more rock into the equation with good effect. My favorite here is "I was the Lead Singer" where he looks back on his past with longing and maybe a bit of sadness. The best confessional type tune about being in a band since Slim Dunlap's "The Ballad of the Opening Band." Give this a shot if that sounds like it's in your realm of enjoyment. I know it entered mine.

6.0 / 10Sean K. • December 16, 2009

Jeff Caudill – Try to be Here cover artwork
Jeff Caudill – Try to be Here — Fortunate Son, 2009

Related news

Low Coast marks a new direction for Jeff Caudill

Posted in Records on April 15, 2023

Recently-posted album reviews

Lice (Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman)

Vol. 4: Miami Lice
Rhymesayers (2026)

This EP released kind of suddenly, back in March, right before a bunch of stuff hit the fan in my life outside of SPB. Which means the EP felt sudden, but this review has been stewing for nearly three months with a lot of repeat listening along the journey. At eight songs in length, it's short but sweet, and as … Read more

Various Artists

There Is No Sun - A Tribute To Jay Reatard
Sonic Church (2026)

The late, great Jay Reatard was a prolific master of rock n roll gems. Whether it be with his earlier budget-punk act of his namesake, Reatards, his synth-punk projects Lost Sounds and Angry Angles, or his solo material as Jay Reatard, Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. was an incredible songwriter. Those aforementioned bands are just a smattering of units he’s been … Read more

The Dwarves

Jenkem
Greedy, MVD (2026)

The Dwarves first cut me off on my path with their 1986 garage-rock debut, Horror Stories, on Voxx Records. Been a fan since. Over the forty years they've been around, some albums hit, some didn't connect as much. Their last main outing, Concept Album, bloated into a 26-song deluxe CD. Jenkem returns to familiar territory: 14 tracks screaming by in … Read more