The album gets off to a cool start with “29 Women,” which has something of a raw country rock vibe. Its first lines surprised me: “Twenty-nine women and twenty-nine men/Went to war and got shot dead.” There is a strong energy to this song, and it features a good lead on guitar. Perhaps some of his early punk experience comes out a bit in this one. This is one of the tracks to feature both Rob Abell and Bill Siebert, Jim Eannelli’s Milktrain bandmates. It is followed by “Where I’ve Been,” which has a gentler vibe, with a vocal performance that reminds me a bit of some of Jackson Browne’s work. “A diesel cries into the dawn/With you left wondering where I’ve gone/The radio, could it be wrong/With an old and worn-out forgotten song/It seems so hard to understand/This broken heart of a lonely man.” There is a beauty to his delivery, and to this song.
“News For You” eases in, featuring a great, loose beat. His vocal performance has a seriously cool, dark country sound. Check out the opening lines: “You’re driving, so I’m drinking/You think that you know everything about love/About love/I must be crazy for ever thinking/This thing we got came from above/Above.” And if you’re a fan of the Uncle Tupelo guys, you’re definitely going to dig it. Also, there are some psychedelic elements, particularly in that wonderful guitar lead in the middle. I like how that section just carries us along in an atmosphere of its own making. This is one of my personal favorites, not just of this album, but of the year so far. I highly recommend checking out this song. It’s followed by “Train From Chicago.” You can bet with that title that there is going to be some blues to this one, and you might not be surprised to find that a woman is behind the blues, behind his leaving. “This time I’m leaving there for good/I tried to love you, baby, now/I guess my lovin’ was no good.” I love that next line: “Rolling straight into my future.” You could possibly hear in that line something positive, something optimistic, or you might hear a sort of inevitable doom. Perhaps your own mood will dictate how you hear it. And isn’t it that way with some of the best music, maybe with most music? This track also contains a compelling guitar lead.
Jim Eannelli goes in a different direction with “Waitin’.” As it starts with that beat, there is the sense that it could lead in several different possible directions, and it’s somewhat of a surprise when that rather pretty acoustic guitar comes in, that instrument offering a sympathetic voice. “You got no money, and you got no friends/I bet you’re wondering when it’s all going to end.” His voice is that of a friend, and yet also of someone who needs a friend. “I’ve been waiting, waitin’ for you, yeah.” And we’re not sure what the outcome will be, as he sings, “Take me down to the river/And throw my body in/Sink right to the bottom/Never coming up again.” Then in “Christine,” he sings, “I haven’t seen you in fifteen years/Don’t you feel that’s much too long, girl?/Please understand that I just want to talk to you.” Time passes so quickly, and fifteen years can so suddenly be gone. “All you needed was someone to talk to you,” he sings a little later, but referring to when they first met. And soon he repeats, “Please just hang on.” This track features some wonderful stuff on both keys and guitar. Alex Ballard plays guitar and slide guitar on this track, and Vic Span is on drums.
There is some rather pretty humming at the start of “Young Girl.” Then Jim Eannelli sings, “The first time that I met you/I knew you were for me/And I had to learn the hard way/Your love was not free,” before offering more humming. This track also features nice work on acoustic guitar. There is an interesting, dreamlike quality to this song, and so it seems fitting when he repeats the line “Our love was just a dream.” That’s followed by “I Want To Be Your Man,” a wild and delicious country number with a great energy and a raw feel. Adding to the fun is Marc Revenson (known as Lil’ Rev) on harmonica, delivering some great stuff. This is such an enjoyable track, ending up as another of my personal favorites. Then “Down My Road” has a southern rock flavor and features some good guitar work. “Got to pack my bags/Gonna get out of this town/I’m so sick and tired now/Of feeling lowdown/About you, about you.” This is one of the tracks to feature Rob Abell and Bill Siebert.
“I should have loved you better/But I didn’t know what to do,” Jim Eannelli sings on “Old 97.” The song’s first line mentions railroad tracks, and this one has a rhythm that gives us the sense of movement, like a train. It also contains good guitar work. That’s followed by “Simple Man.” On this one, the vocal approach reminds me a bit of Bruce Springsteen. “It’s pretty good work, but it don’t pay too much/Some days I feel just so out of touch/And I’ll jump in that river just to prove my love.” I also really like the work on keys here, helping to create a strong atmosphere. The album ends with “Should I Try,” a delicious rockin’ number with a particularly catchy keyboard part. “She was a loner, and I was alone.” This is the other track to feature Rob Abell and Bill Siebert.
CD Track List
- 29 Women
- Where I’ve Been
- News For You
- Train From Chicago
- Waitin’
- Christine
- Young Girl
- I Want To Be Your Man
- Down My Road
- Old 97
- Simple Man
- Should I Try
Just Deserts was released on September 27, 2024 on Happy Growl Records.
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