2026 – SubCat Records
Release Date : July 24, 2026
By Phillip
Smith; July 18,
2026
I’ve been a fan of Tas Cru
for almost ten years. His 2016 album Simmered &
Stewed was the record which brought him into my awareness, and I’ve been enjoying
his music ever since. Might Give Out…
But I Won’t Give In is Tas’ eighth album on Syracuse, New York-based
SubCat Records, and is comprised of ten all-original blues and roots tracks
which flow gently from song to song with masterful writing and musicianship. With Tas on guitars and vocals, he is
joined by Mia Casale on vocals, Scott Ebner on keyboards, Ron
Keck on percussion, Jeremy Walz on slide guitar, Colin Beatty
on bass, Andy Hearn on drums, and Vick Earl Ericksen on
harmonica.
Ushering the album in is title-track “Might Give Out”, a song of perseverance which rapidly pulls me in with its infectious melody and its reinforcing positivity. Wonderfully decorated by Walz on slide guitar, “Favorite Song” seems to dive right into the soul with the swirling keys, melodic backing vocals from Mia, and Tas’ finesse of storytelling through song. Being a huge fan of King Biscuit Time, the longest running daily American radio broadcast in history, I absolutely love “Pass Them Biscuits”. Tas mentioned to me that the song came about from when he was hanging out with the show’s longtime host “Sunshine” Sonny Payne (November 29, 1925 – February 10, 2018). Payne hosted KBT from 1951 until his death. The song is a riveting harmonica-driven tribute slathered in North Mississippi hill-country blues. Dancing in the eye of a hurricane or making love on shaky ground is trumped by the affection of an Okie woman in “Tulsa Tornado”. I dig how the slide guitar and piano melt together in this catchy-as-hell song. “Come To Be” lands as a top favorite. With Tas and Mia singing as a duet, the song is topped with the beautiful slide work of Walz and hits me with a strong Tedeschi Trucks Band vibe. I find myself wanting to hear this song over and over.
The Don Quixote symbolism runs deep for Tas, as the spectacular cover art on this album by Erin McCawley might convey. In the liner notes, Tas states “Like that fabled (and misguided) knight I am idealistic, perhaps to a fault. So be damned and so be it! I truly believe that while there are those who choose to devour songs like a burger & fries from the late-night drive-thru, there are still many who want music they can savor. All along it’s been my utmost goal to write those very kind of songs and dream they will reach those very kind of people.” I would definitely say the goal was fulfilled. “Might Give Out.. But I Won’t Give In” is surely an album to savor. It’s a terrific record.
For more information about Tas
Cru, visit his website https://tascru.com/
Read previous PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Tas Cru : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=tas+cru