His first album since the magnificent 2010 release, Junky Star, and the first on his own label and also without his usual backing band, The Dead Horses, I was definitely very interested to put my ear to this. The first song is a frolicking Americana tune whipping some strings into a frenzy, as his gravelly chords churn up the dust from the floor of a lonesome saloon. A little angry in this first cut, perhaps socially as well as politically, he rips into each transition with fervor. The second cut starts out and dances along at a more steady, melodic pace, urging one to sing along. The amount of layering in this 6-minute cut drives it through the mountains and valleys and over the streams and scrubby wasteland, but you won't notice as you'll be inspired to shut your eyes and listen intently.
Chunky guitars fraught with reverberation and twisted knobs open up the punk attitude-soaked Guess Who's Knocking, a song the Ramones could have easily sung. I think my favorite song comes in at a funky rockabilly cut with lifting old-school country lyrics about loving a little honey while loving all the amazing great music found in these parts. A jumping juke, this song really shows the versatility of this amazing showman and songwriter. Bluesy guitars open up the next tune and a thumping drum and bass-line drive it along. Wonderful tunes continue to spit out of my player, one after another. Slowed-down acoustic pieces that explore a very talented songwriter who, maybe, really was finding himself on this record. he seems to pull from other genres more-so than his more straightforward alt-rock country twists. Strings, keyboards, blues riffs, rockabilly- it's all here and it's all great. This young man will be around for a nice long time, living in a place of yesterday, today and Tomorrowland.
