Victor Wainwright And The Train: “Memphis Loud” (2020) CD Review

Victor Wainwright is a singer, pianist, songwriter, and powerful force rising up from a river in Georgia to deliver a great burst of blues and soul to any within earshot. In 2018, his new band, Victor Wainwright And The Train, put out a self-titled release, an album that ended up being nominated for a Grammy. They are now following that up with Memphis Loud, a delicious album featuring all original material, written or co-written by Victor Wainwright. The band is made up of Billy Dean on drums and vocals, Terrence Grayson on bass and vocals, Pat Harrington on guitar and vocals, Mark Earley on saxophone and clarinet, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Dave Gross on guitar and percussion. There are also several guests on various tracks.

The album opens with “Mississippi,” which begins with some pretty work on keys, then soon kicks in and starts rocking. This song builds and builds. Usually a song will kick in once, but this one starts at one level, kicks in, then kicks it up to another level soon after that. It has the feel of a celebration, but a celebration that has a sense of urgency behind it. A celebration that will sweep you up whether you are ready or not, like a determined wave rushing through the streets. Then suddenly there is a short break, a breather, with some work on electric guitar. But it is not long before things get thumping once again. I love the horns. Mikey Junior, Reba Russell, Stephen Dees, Patricia Ann Dees, Grace Curran and Terrell Reed join the band on vocals on this track (Mikey Junior also plays harmonica). That’s followed by “Walk The Walk,” which when it gets going has a bright New Orleans-type vibe. This song is partly a tribute to one’s parents and the advice they gave. This song features a seriously fun instrumental section, with some wonderful work form the horns, and it includes a big finish.

“Memphis Loud,” the album’s title track, comes barreling along, and best you get the hell out of the way, or join in – your choice – but you don’t have long to choose, because this song is suddenly on top of you. And holy moly, I love Victor Wainwright’s work on piano here, pushing everything forward. It is no surprise to find that the song’s lyrics are about a train; after all, the song feels like a train from the moment it begins. “Whoa, the train’s running through your town/Everyone’s allowed.” This track is tremendous fun, certainly one of the album’s best. It is followed by “Sing,” which opens with some absolutely delightful work on piano. Immediately you feel like perhaps you’ve taken a step back in time, listening to this jazzy and timeless gem. If forced to choose my favorite track on the album, this would be it. No question. It features a cool vocal performance, but it is the work of the horn section that really raises this track to a pretty high level of cool. Seriously. That jam toward the end is oddly glorious, with ghosts and spirits rising to join the celebration. “Don’t let life get you down/Silence is the loudest sound.” Then “Disappear” is a mellower number, delivered with a good dash of soul, and building in power as it goes, with that instrumental section featuring some excellent work on keys.

“Creek Don’t Rise” features some nice work on bass, a good steady rhythm, and appealing lyrics about getting away. “Let’s get away from family and all of our friends/Lose them for a while so we can find them again/I love you/We can make it this time.” There is something of a 1970s vibe to this one. Also, it is interesting how basically every single one of these tracks gets more interesting, more exciting as it goes. The organ at the beginning of “Golden Rule” sounds like something from a great old Stax album or something, and there is certainly some fine rhythm and blues to this one, along with positive vibes. Then “America” begins as a mellower tune. “I think we might be losing our minds/Is this real/America.” Those lines certainly stand out in this frightening time. None of these songs wants to stay mellow for too long, and by the end this one has built up a good amount of power. Mike Welch plays guitar on this track.

On “South End Of A North Bound Mule,” we get a vocal performance that reminds me of Dr. John. As you might guess from the title of this song, it is a whole lot of fun, a playful, and totally enjoyable number with a cool sound. I especially dig that stuff on keys. Greg Gumpel joins the band on guitar and vocals on this track. That’s followed by “Recovery.” Soon the entire nation will be in recovery (as soon as we get rid of that infection named Donald Trump). This song offers a positive outlook. “Rainbows shine through when the black clouds part/Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a new start/When life seems broken, reach for more than who you are.” Then “My Dog Riley” is a tribute to the friendship of a dog. However, I say a friend who gnaws on your furniture and shits on your carpet is no damn friend at all.  This is a silly song, something of a throwaway number. The album concludes with “Reconcile,” which has a mellow and beautiful soul vibe and a really nice vocal performance. “I don’t know how long this pain will last,” Victor Wainwright sings. This track of course does build in power toward the end, sounding like a classic soul tune. Chris Stephenson plays organ on this track.

CD Track List

1. Mississippi
2. Walk The Walk
3. Memphis Loud
4. Sing
5. Disappear
6. Creek Don’t Rise
7. Golden Rule
8. America
9. South End Of A North Bound Mule
10. Recovery
11. My Dog Riley
12. Reconcile

Memphis Loud is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020 on Ruf Records.