Cass Cwik and his band the Small Gas Engines specialize in an engaging variety of folk music that recalls Bob Dylan and retro Nashville pop. This is well-trodden territory, but the Chicago singer-songwriter keeps the tradition fresh with a sure hand and strong ear for melody and arrangement. “Under Your Spell,” which opens Cwik’s self-released second album, Wise, Wild & Free, is solid enough to make Lefty Frizzell tip his cowboy hat to the band. Pedal steel guitarist Nick Usalis bolsters its rolling hook, while Cwik emphasizes the vulnerability of the lyrics with his wavering but engaging vocals. “Aw, no, I can’t tell / Where I am or who I am,” he sings. “You got me under your spell.”
Part of the pleasure of listening to this kind of music is catching its influences, and Cwik and the band sprinkle plenty throughout Wise, Wild & Free. The swamp-boogie riff on “I’m Giving This to Sara” salutes Creedence Clearwater Revival; the slightly left-field electric chug of “Rock N Roll Junkie Angel” is reminiscent of T. Rex; and “Fools in Love” channels bluegrass with the help of Nick Apple’s banjo. Cwik also follows the folk tradition of honoring his local roots. On the twangy “Calumet River” (off his 2021 debut, Cass Cwik & the Small Gas Engines) the music goes rowing across a recognizable landscape as he declares, “Fifteen miles to the Calumet River / That’s the nastiest thing I ever did see.” Good folk music grounds itself in the familiar while providing enough variation to keep listeners on their toes—and Cwik and his band understand the assignment.
Cass Cwik Trevor Joellenbeck and Jack Brereton open. Sat 12/14, 9 PM, Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee, $13, 21+