I’ve been a fan of Jim White since his first album, 1997’s Wrong-Eyed Jesus. I became an even bigger fan after seeing the documentary film, Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus (various artists). I guess I’m just a sucker for records with a “Jesus” thread flowing through them. But only in the hands of the right artists. Terry Allen’s Salivation comes to mind. So does Johnny Dowd’s Temporary Shelter.
So, anyway, Jim White has released his first album in 20 years with “Jesus” in the title. What’s not to intrigue a believer in the historical Jesus, but a doubter of the twisted myth?
With songs like “Reason To Cry” and “Sweet Bird of Mystery,” this time around it’s a softer Jim White. But just barely. There’s also “Prisoner’s Dillema.” Picture a scene in a Stephen King book/movie set in a backwoods church inhabited by snake handlers.
Like Dowd, White continues to be a master of unusual soundscapes, setting his work apart from your standard revivalist fare. The happy sound of banjos are in there, but so is the rain.
(Bill Glahn)
Jim Keaveny: Put It Together
Jim Kealveny has built a fine cowboy record, mixing in some mariachi horns and accordion, without ever straying too far from his native North Dakota. Keaveny’s delivery is soft-spoken, half-talked, half sung - sublimely attractive in a “howdy” sort of way. And he has stories, good stories.
Put It Together doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But Keaveny throws enough ball cards into the spokes to create something unique. Think of it as a high plains drifter embarking on a journey to south of the border. (Bill Glahn)
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