A New York supergroup of sorts,
the Gaddabouts is fronted by singer/songwriter Edie Brickell, anchored by drummer
Steve Gadd, and featuring guitarist
Andy Fairweather-Low and bassist
Pino Palladino. Their eponymous 2011 debut -- released just a week after
Brickell's self-titled 2011 album -- is in comfortable territory for the group’s singer/songwriter, filled with the kind of rangy, loping folk-rock that turned her into a star back in 1988, but it also has an element of serious cabaret swing and torch song, plus a bit of blues, the group so dexterous they slide into these old-timey threads without causing a ripple. The songs are all sturdy enough, but the appeal of
The Gaddabouts is that relaxed, seasoned professionalism: the band has considerable chops but they never flaunt their skill, they lay back into the groove and it’s hard not to find their easy sway ingratiating. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine