The album opens with one of its best tracks, “Just These
Things,” which has a delicious Latin rhythm, and lets that rhythm develop into
something wonderful, for a moment making me think it might be an instrumental
track. But then a minute into the song, the vocals begin, and then the song
just gets better. I love the straight-forward vocal delivery here. “Let the road run a little longer/It doesn’t
have to run forever/That I could go back and say things better/Answer each and
every one of your letters/Unfettered, time suspended/Just these things and
nothing more.” I love that work on guitar in the second half of the track, and
of course the horn. Saxophone and accordion are a great combination, don’t you
think? What a delight this track is. It’s followed by “Hammer In Her Hand,” a
more serious song which tells a story, creating vivid characters and a
relationship through some strong, key images, like “And sweat stung both her eyes” and “He spent a month in rehab in a wheelchair” and of course “She had a hammer in her hand.” Check out
these lines: “She had slowly come to
fear/The worst of it was drawing near/Maybe he grew tired of hearing/The list
of all her grievances/Spent more time on fishing/And his periodic binges.”
“The Mark Of A Man” immediately announces itself as more
fun, with elements of ska, a rhythm to get you moving. And yet, it still has
something to say. “What keeps us from
going under/What keeps us from going numb/He’s well aware/He’s halfway there.”
But perhaps the best part of this track is the saxophone over that rhythm. That’s
followed by “To Be Her Man,” one of my favorites. I love the sweet folk rock
vibe established right at the beginning. There is another well-defined
character here, with details like “She
leans backwards when she dances” and “She
slouches when she stands” creating a clear image of her in the listener’s
mind. Some of the lyrics are delivered almost as spoken word, putting those
lines and details into stronger focus, and these sections segue naturally from
and back to the other sections. I just completely love this song.
“Soft As A Sponge” has a lighter, fun tone, emerging
brightly from the previous track (several of the tracks flow into each other),
with some breezy work on drums. Again, this band delivers well-crafted
characters, with charming details like “But
she won’t see a doctor or try medication/Her eyes the most beautiful dilated hazel.”
Yeah, this album features some excellent songwriting. “Viscous Meniscus” is another
delight. This is the second song with
the word “meniscus” in the title that I’ve heard in the last week or so. Was
that word always used in songs, and I just missed it? I am much more aware of
the word these days, after tearing the medial meniscus of my left knee several
months ago. But so many other words and lines stood out to me the first time I listened
to this song, such as “He’d have more
elbow room in the next town over” and “Like
overripe fruit in the stink of a boot” and “If you see some way that we can uproot him/Other than shoot him.” This
one has an unusual vibe. And is that a kalimba? Yes, that’s Jim Hannah on
kalimba. The CD then ends on a more serious note with “Wilson Comes Home,” the
title track. I love that moment when the saxophone rises above the action,
echoing down the street, followed quickly by guitar. Wonderful stuff.
CD Track List
- Just These Things
- Hammer In Her Hand
- The Mark Of A Man
- To Be Her Man
- A Hundred Answers
- Alexander Grothendieck
- Soft As A Sponge
- It Weighs Nothing Against Her Neck
- Viscous Meniscus
- Wilson Comes Home
Wilson Comes Home
was released on August 15, 2017.
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