Clay Cabe

For a guy who grew up learning to play Elton John songs on his autoharp while listening to the radio, Clay Cabe has quite an affinity for funk. Although his debut, 2003’s December, was an acoustic-driven folk-rock album, The Underworld is more of an eclectic effort. There are still a few folk ballads present, such as “The Spider and the Fly,” but other cuts are rooted in funk and rock, especially the title track, which features some first-rate shredding from guitarist Mitch Chmara, and “Freak.” “We’re Not Through,” meanwhile, has a Spanish feel (with some tasty solo work by Mitchell Long). With additional help from bassist Dave Randon and drummer Ben Makinen, Cabe has crafted a much more ambitious offering this time out.