In the mid-1990s when I
was living in Oregon I had the pleasure of seeing The Squirrel Nut Zippers in
concert. It was a great show (even though they refused to play “Anything But
Love”). And then for some reason or another I lost track of those musicians, until
2012, when I heard Jimbo Mathus' EP Blue Light, an excellent and interesting mix
of genres, including country, rock and blues. And now his new full-length CD, Dark Night Of The Soul, is also a
wonderful combination of musical influences. At times it is more in the rock
category, but with lots of country influences as well. Jimbo Mathus’ vocals are
full of emotion and power and humanity, and it is often his vocals that drive
these songs. This album certainly starts off strong, but many of my favorites
are the later tracks, and the CD’s final track is something I can’t seem to
shake from my head.
The album begins with its title track, “Dark Night Of The
Soul,” which opens with some really nice, sweet work on piano. And when Jimbo
Mathus’ vocals come in, they have a gorgeous, raw, emotional feel (the first
moment reminding me of Steve Perry’s most heartfelt moments with Journey). “Dark night of the soul/Take me to your sweet
solution/Bathe me in your absolution/Dark night of the soul.” Then the song
kicks in, but still has a loose, strange feel, which I really like. There is
something wonderfully untamed about the song’s energy. And then toward the end,
we return to the sweet piano.
“White Angel” has a raw
rock vibe, with something of a southern rock thing happening and some good work
on electric guitar. What I love is this sort of unpolished delivery,
particularly in the louder sections of the song, almost like he has something
he needs to get across and perhaps just one take in which to do it.
“Rock & Roll Trash” is
more firmly in the rock and roll vein, with a nod to Velvet Underground in the
line “dance to the rock and roll station.”
Then “Shine Like A Diamond” is a love song about how the right woman can turn a
man’s life around, make things right. The opening lines are, “I was worried one time/I’m not worried
anymore/From the minute I saw you walk through the door/I said to myself/When I
first laid eyes on you, girl/You shine like a diamond and you’re my girl/You
shine like a diamond and you’re flawless like a pearl.” Perfect, right? This
is one of my favorite tracks. There is another Velvet Underground reference (“sweet nuthin’”), plus a Van Morrison
reference at the end.
Another of my favorites
is the album’s following track, “Writing Spider,” which has more of a country
rock feel. There is something really catchy about this tune. The last lines
are, “I’ll open the door for anything/Just
far enough to let light in/But I’ll close the door so many times/On all the
trouble that I had back then.” The great country rock vibes continue with
“Tallahatchie,” another highlight of this CD. I love the feel of this one, due
in part to the fun work on piano (Eric Carlton is on keys on this album). And
it has a reference to Canned Heat’s “Going Up The Country” in the line, “We’re gonna jump in the water and stay
stoned all the time.”
“Fire In The Canebrake”
has a slow, funky groove. This song during its instrumental section actually
calls to mind Frank Zappa, but then vocally at certain moments makes me think
of early ZZ Top. It’s a cool tune. And then “Hawkeye Jordan” has a good country
rock vibe that at times reminds me of The Band. That one features more great work
on piano and guitar, and I totally dig the vocal performance.
Another of my favorites
is “Casey Caught The Cannonball,” which is more very cool country rock. I
really love this tune. It has the feel of a down-home celebration, including
some work on harmonica. “Take a fast
train, baby, to ease my worried mind.”
Musically, probably the
most arresting and haunting track is the album’s final song, “Butcher Bird.”
Lyrically, it’s okay, but the sound of this song is fantastic, nearly hypnotic
in a way, and might be my favorite track on the album. It will transport you.
CD Track List
- Dark Night Of The Soul
- White Angel
- Rock & Roll Trash
- Shine Like A Diamond
- Writing Spider
- Tallahatchie
- Burn The Ships
- Fire In The Canebrake
- Hawkeye Jordan
- Casey Caught The Cannonball
- Medicine
- Butcher Bird
Dark Night Of The Soul is scheduled to be released on February 18,
2014 on Fat Possum Records.
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