Bobby Capps and
Ean Evans have shared a problem as musicians who stepped into established Southern rock bands,
.38 Special and
Lynyrd Skynyrd, respectively, only to find that the joys of playing songs like
"Free Bird" every night did not satisfy them completely. Perhaps in search of the kind of multiple careers enjoyed by
Warren Haynes, another second-generation replacement musician who has made a name for himself apart from his tenure in
the Allman Brothers Band, they teamed up as
EvansCapps, and
Last Time is their debut musical statement. With
Capps taking lead vocals in addition to his usual keyboard work and
Evans adding guitar to his bass chores,
EvansCapps eschew the Southern rock style for a harder rocking approach. It isn't quite heavy metal, but it is driven by heavy riffs and lacks the blues and country underpinnings of the kind of music the players' day jobs require.
Capps has a torn, emotional tenor, and
Evans keeps the big chords coming. Melody takes a back seat, so this music will seem less appealing to some of the more pop-oriented fans that
Lynyrd Skynyrd and
.38 Special attract, but headbangers should feel right at home. [The version of the album released by
Rock Ridge Music in 2009 had overdubs not found on the 2006 download, had been remixed, and featured four new tracks. Sadly, it was issued six days after
Evans died of cancer.] ~ William Ruhlmann
