Reviewed by Tom Doel
T Becker Combo
Album Title - FOUR
Release Aug/Sept 2025
Records Freight
Reviewed on the 31 August 2025
Just when you thought you had seen everything the T Becker Trio were capable of, they go and add another musician and deliver a new album as the T Becker Combo. I have been lucky enough to get a preview copy from the guys, and I am writing this as I listen.
T Becker on lead vocals and acoustic guitar.
Mr Did on Lead Guitar.
Axel Ribard-Becker on Double Bass.
Rico Drums.
Bop A Billy Bop- It's a strong start to the album with his Rockabilly number. I really love the authentic sound.
Would you be mine- A bit more of Country sound on this one with finger picking guitar and a solid bass and drumbeat. Reminds me of the bands on the Goofin label such as the Barnshakers.
Don’t kiss me Goodbye- A bit quicker tempo on this one it gets the toes tapping great lyrics.
I want it all- Nice bluesy number I like the way the vocals build and fade atmospheric guitar solid rhythm section great number works very well.
Too Late- Classic Rockabilly number this one.
Sweetheart of mine- The variety of styles on this album is amazing I love the guitar sound. Again, the tight rhythm section keeping it bopping along.
I’m Back- Hi Hat’s kick this one off bringing the guitar and bass in giving it a heavier sound. Great drum sound. Pure Rockabilly.
I won’t be the one- Again the band surprise me with a different style this one finger picking Hillbilly with backing vocals. Love it
Let me sleep-Reminds me a little of Jack Baymore I mean who wouldn’t like this????
I miss you baby- The title says it all a love song so a bit slower tempo with some real nice guitar picking.
Let’s have a good time- Another Rockabilly track this one will get you bopping on a hardwood floor.
What a fun- Love this again reminds me of some of my favourite bands from the Goofin Label.
Why do I fall in love- This album started strong and finishes stronger another great Rockabilly number great lyrics well delivered.
This is as you would imagine is another great album the addition of a drummer has of course given them a new dimension but takes nothing away from the T Becker Trio sound. Adding a drummer isn’t as easy as it sounds as it can totally change a band’s sound and direction but that hasn’t happened here in fact what it has done has made a very good band a very good band with a very good drummer that adds to the band’s sound. I loved every number on this album, and you don’t get to say that very often the songs are great the musicians are top notch and the production is excellent.
I am course a big fan of the T Becker Trio and now I am a big fan of the T Becker Combo that goes without saying I really need to see these guys live they are for me on my list of top European bands playing this style of Rockabilly on the scene today.
Reviewed by Tom Doel
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​Review Sept 2025/ Frantic Franky / Boppin around
Why complicate matters when simple does it? The fourth album in five years by the drumless T Becker Trio from the north of France is simply called Four
(their second was called Second Round and their third Third Time's A Charm). Four is however not the fourth album by the T Becker Trio but the first album
by the T Becker Combo, which is T Becker Trio + a drummer. The album still reminds us of the best of the young High Noon, the absolute benchmark when
it comes to drumless trios, and since we already made that comparison in the T Becker Trio days it means the drums they add now does not significantly
change their sound. Eric “Rico” Bessenay from Pete & the Starphonics does not try to hit as many pots and pans as possible, bang white rock fills non stop
or even swing, but puts himself entirely at the service of the T Becker sound that we know and love from Christophe “Tof” Becker (vocals, acoustic guitar),
Axel Ribard-Becker (double bass) and Didier Doudement (guitar). At the most he might hit those skins a little harder during a guitar solo.
Opening track Bop A Billy Bop is a slightly fantastic uptempo bopper (pay attention how beautifully that second voice sings along in the chorus) and so are Why Do I Fall In Love, Don't Kiss Me Goodbye, Would You Be Mine, I'm Back, the playful Sweetheart Of Mine, the somewhat Johnny Cash styled Too Late and the mysterious, spooky western I Want It All, but as a matter of fact all the tracks are very nice uptempo songs. As I said these thirteen new original songs (their first three albums didn't contain any covers either) are still reminiscent of High Noon due to the structure of the songs, the performance and the fingerpicking guitar, and also because the timbre of Christophe Becker's voice, sounding like he's rolling a potato around in his mouth, is similar to Shaun Young's.
Another comparison could be The Barnshakers from Finland, but something I haven't heard before, at least not in T Becker Trio, are echoes of Restless.
Not that they suddenly play neo, far from it, but Restless resonates in a modern chord here, a sound snippet there. What it comes down to is that adding a drummer has given the T Becker Trio an injection with new energy, the biggest asset being that Four almost entirely consists of uptempo songs and boredom doesn't get a chance. It's certainly not the wildest rockabilly CD of the year, but it might very well be the most melodic and therefore one of the best, taking into consideration that the year is already entering its final quarter. T Becker Combo sparkles, and this CD is one for the real fans of the genre.