Cowboy Junkies - Sing In My Meadows: The Nomad Series, Volume 3

Cowboy Junkies - Sing In My Meadows: The Nomad Series, Volume 3

2011, Razor & Tie/Latent Recordings

Canadian mellow-rock mavens the Cowboy Junkies offer up a different sound beginning on October 25, 2011, with the release of Sing In My Meadows, the third release in The Nomad Series. Going well off the beaten path of their past works, Cowboy Junkies venture into a world of low-fi, fuzzy electric blues and folk. The result is their most compelling album since The Trinity Sessions, full of the bluesy, breathy alto of Margo Timmins, minimalist arrangements and a lot of distortion. The bare bones approach to song construction allows for stark contrasts between Michael Timmins' fuzzy guitar work and sister Margo's unforgettable voice.

Breaking out with "Continental Drift", the band spends the first two minutes exploring the open spaces in the arrangement sans vocals before Margo Timmins slips in the back door with an icy, metallic vocal line that's both warm and cold at the same time. The blues influences come fully to the fore on "Sing In My Meadows", a dark and conflicted invitation that's both beautiful and disturbing at once. "Hunted" is perhaps the most wide-open song on the album, allow room for Margo Timmins to rant and wail and show a much more carnal vocal character than fans might be used to. The closer, "I Move On", sounds more like Chrissie Hynde jamming with Junkhouse than anything you might expect from Cowboy Junkies.

Sing In My Meadows has its ups and downs, but is a thoroughly compelling left turn for a band that honed its reputation on a smooth, mellow brand of anti-folk. Sing In My Meadows plays like the band's dark secret, hidden in a closet for all these years and finally let into the light. It's compelling; aboriginal and full of a dark energy that draws you in.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Cowboy Junkies at www.cowboyjunkies.com or www.myspace.com/cowboykjunkies.  Sing In My Meadows drops on October 25th, 2011 on CD.  The Vinyl edition will follow on November 15, 2011.  Digital versions will be forthcoming through Amazon.com and iTunes, but are not yet available for pre-order.

            CD                     Vinyl

Please note that the Amazon.com prices listed above are as of the posting date, and may have changed. Wildy's World is not responsible for price changes instituted by Amazon.com.

Review: Gary Lucas & Dean Bowman - Chase The Devil

Gary Lucas & Dean Bowman - Chase The Devil
2009, Knitting Factory Records

Gary Lucas has a reputation as one of the best guitarists alive, having played/recorded with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Nick Cave and Lou Reed over the years. His twenty solo albums have marked the development of his singular talent and creativity as a guitarist and composer. Gary Lucas' latest project, recorded with Jazz/Blues vocalist Dean Bowman, is entitled Chase The Devil. Available March 16, 2010, the album explores the roots of Gospel and the Blues, teaming two singular talents on an enthralling musical experience.

Chase The Devil opens with "Nobody's House", with Lucas displaying his highly rhythmic guitar style, and Bowman crooning in his earthy, soulful voice. "Nobody's House" is a song of praise and Thanksgiving offered amid the chaos of the everyday world. "God Is A Good God" is southern gospel at its finest. Bowman's vocal is inspired, and Lucas chips in with the complementary voice of his guitar, driving the background with an intensity that's nearly religious fervor. On "Twelve Gates To The City", Lucas and Bowman almost risk over-doing things a bit; letting stylistic runs in both voice and guitar overcome the essential melody and grace of the song. Both perform technically flawless, but the net effect is just too over-the-top.

"Hinay Ma T'ov" finds Lucas presiding over some delicious slide guitar work even as he adopts the darker tones of the Arabic scale before moving into the Bluesy "Children Of Zion". The developing trend at this point in the album is to offset Lucas' highly intricate guitar work with repetitive sung phrases from Dean Bowman. While the vocal lines are glorious given Bowman's voice, the stark repetition is oppressive. "Out On The Rolling Sea" may provide the most challenging guitar work on the album; a celebration before the solemn praise of "In Christ There Is No East Or West". "Let My People Go" is sung with all the yearning of a people who have suffered across generations, although in this case Lucas' guitar work, while technically proficient, seriously muddies the waters. Chase The Devil closes the Bluesy Gospel ala reverb of "Up Above My Head". The sound is interesting but borders on distraction.

Chase The Devil is a well-intended project that hits its mark in some ways and misses wildly in others. Gary Lucas is an exciting guitarist; highly creative in approach and with a level of technical skill in his instrument that puts him among the best at his craft. Dean Bowman has a voice that could start a revival wherever he sings. Two coming together of two such tremendous talents could be a glorious coalescence or an utter failure. Chase The Devil rides the continuum between the two; never tilting entirely to one pole or the other, but taking in a lot of the scenery in the middle. Neither performance suffers on technical points, but the two talents don't meld well. When they are together it almost feels like happenstance, as they are just as likely to perform on the edge of conflict with one another; like two virtuosos forced to share the same stage. Chase The Devil is good because of the talent level of the performers and the material chosen, but it could have; should have been great.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gary Lucas and Dean Bowman at www.myspace.com/wechasethedevil. You can catch up with the individual artists at http://www.garylucas.com/ and http://www.deanbowman.net/. Chase The Devil drops on March 16, 2010. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon.com. Expect wide availability for both physical and virtual versions.

Review: MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg

MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg
2009, Ottomannix Music, Inc.

Very often I’ll try to give a very brief introduction to a band in the first paragraph of a review. There are occasionally albums I review from folks who really need no introduction, and then there are, from time to time, acts for which any introduction would be insufficient. Silver Spring, Maryland’s MYSTR Treefrog is one such artist. Born from the sweltering heart of Southern Blues with a punk attitude and some good, old fashioned Psychedelia thrown in, MYSTR Treefrog isn’t quite like anything that’s been heard in the popular music scene in a while. His album, Swampadelic Hound Dawg, is better heard than written about.

Swampadelic Hound Dawg opens with Walkerdawg, a delicious mix of Blues and Cajun styles that's guaranteed to get your musical libido swinging. The guitar work here is outstanding, and MYSTR Treefrog's voice sounds like part Leon Redbone and part Dan Akroyd. Jefferson Nova and Kelly Chevette is a "cautionary tale" about two young bandits from Maryland out on the road. It's an entertaining story-song but not one of the stronger tracks on the disc. How Gone Is Gone is a letter to a long-lost friend in song about letting go and freeing yourself from the ties that bind and about happiness. It's unusually personal and stands out from the rest of the album as a serious and introspective attempt at reaching out across innumerable miles to someone who may or may not be listening. God's Gift 2 Man is an old school intervention set to song around some of the filthiest blues licks this is of the Mississippi. It's an out-of-the-box story song that's entertaining and has a vaguely theatrical sensibility. Leonard is a strong blues/rock tune with great rhythm and some kicking collaboration between guitar and harmonica. Other highlights include Chasin' Tail, My Babes A Mechanic and Nawlins Worm Dance.

MYST Treefrog forges eclectic mix of Folk, Blues, Rock and some Cajun seasoning on Swampadelic Hound Dawg in creating a listening experience you won't soon forget. I can't say I loved every song on the disc, but as a complete work it's unforgettable. I have a sense that MYST Treefrog isn't a complete experience until you catch him live. Do so, if you have the opportunity.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn about MYSTR Treefrog at http://www.myspace.com/mystrtreefrog%20or%20mystrtreefrogsblitherfestival.blogspot.com. You can purchase a copy of Swampadelic Hound Dawg at CDBaby.com.

Review: The Bludlows – Americaville

The Bludlows – Americaville
2009, The Bludlows

The Bludlows rose to pre-eminence in the Boston Rock N Roll scene with their mix of Rock, Punk and even Americana. With influences including The Rolling Stones, Tool, Pavement, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and Captain Beefheart, it is safe to expect the unexpected. The Bludlows’ latest CD, Americaville, finds the band testing out all sorts of musical waters.

Americaville opens with the frenetic guitars of the title track; you'll be looking for a pit from the opening chords. The bass is the star of this song, driving the action with a vibrant and inventive bass line that varies the sound. The song is loosely political, lamenting the decline of America both internally and in the eyes of the world. ATG is Post-Punk Americana that sounds like a cross between 54-40 and the Tragically Hip. The song takes a shot at the greed of corporate executives in a veiled and mildly humorous fashion. On Layin' Down, The Bludlows hit the Tragically Hip sound-alike button once again in one of the more enjoyable tracks on the disc. Blockade is very catchy, built on a guitar riff that runs 8 bars and acts almost as a counter-melody. The Bludlows close out Americaville with Point Of Reference, a seven minute-plus musical odyssey that borders on the psychedelic Noize popular in the late-1960's.

Americaville plays like a soundtrack to a world in decline, joining together post-Punk sensibilities with sonic dissonance and the occasional big hook that binds it all together. The Bludlows come across as a sonically talented but stylistically ambivalent band that play what they want, caution be damned. Americaville is an interesting listen that suggests there are more involved and divergent tunes yet to be born in the heart of Boston. Check them out and stick around for the ride. It could be interesting.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Bludlows at their homepage or on MySpace. You can purchase Americaville as either a CD or download at CDBaby.