I had never
heard of this crazy American singer before. This music is really down and
dirty, and nasty blues with some gospel thrown in for good measure and most
songs have a raw organ as the main instrument. Only 4 out of the 10 tracks
feature guitar, with the main feature being James gritty voice, and heavy organ
with some tracks with drums, trumpet, bass, saw, harmonica, violin, trombone..
a wide variety of instruments. Dirty
South starts things off and is a nsyt sounding garagy organ driven blues track,
while Casa de Fuego has this trumpet that gives it a special Mexican feeling. This
one reminds me of Mojo Nixon and has a
really fun party feel to it with the harmonica leading the way and a chorus of
backing singers in the Baptist church tradition! Drink it Away is probably an
autobiographical track, and you guessed it, about drinking too much. James
plays the Fender Rhodes on this track. (“The cops are all bastards, they won’t
leave me alone….”). October 3rd is very much like Tom Waits with
stand up bass, drums, organ, voice and a little trombone. Glass Jaw is a very
rough, nasty rockin’ blues track with really cool organ. I can’t stop thinkin’
about IT has a really ugly guitar riff and raw vocal. A Forest has a really
groovy bass line and James plays a nice organ over the top of this totally
different song and one of the longest with a nice solo. Disappearing is one of
the only tracks that sounds really happy and cheerful. What More, ends this
short record with a full band and including a melancholy French horn! A really cool and diverse record. I more down
and dirty version of Tom Waits meets something nasty….. must be a cool live band..
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