Doc Jazz – “That Train”
Doc Jazz – “That Train” – Single Review
I’m nothing but fair. When the material is good, I’ll tell ya that, even if I’m not a huge fan of the artist or band that makes it, or if a song is outside of the genres I’d normally listen to. I generally don’t have a lot of love for Blues/Rock, but Doc Jazz has a decent song here with his single “That Train.” He knows that already though. According to what I’ve read, he originally released this track somewhere back in 2006, and gained the approval of one of his own heroes, Walid Itayim, who has sadly passed on but plays the fiery guitar solo you’ll hear on this updated version of Doc’s old song. Arguably, it’s Itayim’s contribution that makes “That Train” have its most standout elements, otherwise it could potentially be just another tune. Doc’s got decent enough hooks threaded into the chorus, but those arguably have nothing to do with Blues/Rock as that’s where “That Train” takes a severe bend towards its Pop inclinations. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy what I hear, I’m simply saying that the parts I enjoy most aren’t really a part of the genre you’d find this song under. Take that however you wanna, versatility & diversity are good things.
On the bright side, it’s actually a good song overall, which is a nice rebound from where we ended up with the music of Doc Jazz last time around. He sings this well, he plays it tightly, the production is slick and the song sounds great in that regard – all-in-all, it’s a performance to be proud of. I’m not here to tell ya it’s the single that’s gonna revolutionize music altogether, but it is quite probably the best that I’ve personally heard in Doc’s catalog to-date. Lyrically, I’m neither here nor there with it, but we all gotta write about something…writing about a train is literally as valid as anything else. I don’t need to find things relatable to enjoy what I hear, which is a very good thing in the case of “That Train.” Itayim’s solo proves he was a verifiable force to be reckoned with on the guitar…there’s simply no doubt at all that he provides the most noticeable highlight in “That Train” and the main reason to return to it. Doc has a noteworthy crew working on this single, and everyone played their parts with professionalism. You’ve got Faisal Shadid (Bass), R. Bemelmans (Slide Guitar), Hans Slighter (Backing Vocals) – they all do a quality job in adding the shine to the sound of “That Train,” and Hisham Shadid made a clever video to support the song with footage from the videogame Red Dead Redemption 2. Thematically, it’s on-point & stays true to the idea Doc chose to write about, so you can’t really complain about the cohesiveness – he did what he set out to do, and I’m confident most listeners will enjoy it based on how it sounds. As to whether or not it’s an idea that’ll resonate with everyone…maybe, maybe not…that’s true of all songs at the end of the day – but he’s definitely played this the right way and enlisted a solid supporting cast to help with the rest, most notably Itayim (R.I.P.), which should give it a good chance of winning you over and finding a spot on your playlist.
Find out more about Doc Jazz at his official website at: https://www.docjazz.com
Find out what we do at sleepingbagstudios, and be the next to be featured on our pages by clicking here!
