Scroll down for a review of the latest from Cary Hudson

My Morning Jacket
At Dawn

(Darla)

http://mymorningjacket.com

Fronted by 23-year old singer and songwriter Jim James, this Louisville five-piece stretches wide and far, incorporating late-60s pop, early-70s country rock, and late-90s indie rock into its sound, and the results are, at times, stunning. At Dawn is the band’s second release, following in the wake of the warmly-received Tennessee Fire from 1999.

Obviously raised on a diet of classic rock, James also draws from other, not-so-obvious influences including the vocal phrasings of David Gates and the rustic simplisticity of Comes a Time-era Neil Young.

While “Hopefully” recalls the aforementioned Neil Young, with its basic rhythm and haunting vocal, and “Phone Went West” conjures up Bread with balls, elsewhere on the record the band notches it up, ultimately coming across as a high adrenaline Grandaddy-meets-the Jayhawks.

Impressively, the aforementioned James writes like a seasoned pro, discussing tired relationships (“Wishing you’d get better/then I’d get rid of you”) on “Just Because I Do”, and idolatry (“It’s just the way that he sings/not the words that he says/or the band”) on “The Way That He Sings”.

The pure jubilance of “Just Because I Do” seems to indicate the singer takes joy in dismissing his partner, rather than empathy. When he screams that he “saw it in a letter” you wonder how someone set to do something so cruel could possibly be so buoyant about it.

While there are points on the record when the pace gets a little plodding, overall the energy level remains high, and James’s knack for melody is unquestioned. It’s a country record, a rock record, and a pop record. Sometimes it’s confusing as you attempt to decide which it wants to be, but then you realize it doesn’t matter. It’s a great record.

____________________________________________________

Cary Hudson
The Phoenix

(Black Dog)

http://caryhudson.com

Long-admired as leader of the Oxford, MS alt-country outfit Blue Mountain, Cary Hudson has packed his bags, headed south to Hattiesburg and formed a new band, a three-piece which includes Justin Showah on bass and Ted Gainey on guitar. The Phoenix is his first solo record, after four records with Blue Mountain, widely recognized as one of the leading torch-bearers of 90s alt-country.

While light on the driving anthems that littered Blue Mountain’s records (“Soul Sister”, from Dog Days, or “Babe” from Homegrown), the record contains a number of winning moments, particularly the gorgeous “Lovin’ Touch”, which laments the absence of a reliable sidekick in one’s life (“If I ever find me a girl like that/ I’ll kick off my shoes and dance on my hat”). On the title track, the melody lopes along as Hudson muses on life’s fate (“Why does a tramp pass out on the tracks/in the path of a train?”). A blues cover, “Gods Don’t Never Change” by Blind Willie Johnson, allows Hudson to show off his lead chops.

Heavy reliance on wah-wah guitar and bluesy harp threatens to drag the album down at times, but the beautiful ballads ground the record, making it a nice glimpse of the direction in which Hudson appears headed. It’s the mellow moments that stand out, and Hudson’s assured voice lends a beauty to these tracks. Hudson’s been writing songs for quite some time now, so it’s no surprise that he sounds assured, while exploratory on the record. He may be seeking a new direction, but he knows the path he needs to follow to get there.

___________________________________________________

To reach any other page contained in this month's update on Fufkin.com, read the home page for the appropriate link and click on it. You can also search the site from any page using the search box located at the top of each page. Merely type in the word, phrase, name of the band, recording, name of the Fufkin writer that you are looking for or Whatever in the search box, and then click on "Search". If you would like to e-mail us, go to the About Us page for a list of e-mail addresses.

Go back to the home page by clicking here

____________________________________________________