Any album whose opening line is "I've got no one to cut my toenails for" Is either going to grab you or make you ready to run before opening song Got No One is over. Oh, and it's only 35 seconds long!!
But I'd suggest that you stick with this album and it has some interesting and slightly deranged sort of folk music with a noise psychosis that butts in every once in a while as the only Words Jeff has left to say are relayed to the ex this album seems aimed at. His heart has been broken and we are about to find out just how shattered it is over the next half hour when he's not trying to be Steve Earle solo and acoustic.
The other thing that the album is worth buying for is the photo on the inner sleeve featuring a whip and a gun and two ladies in it but I won't spoil that for you. Anyway, back to the music and Fools Gold, which is a grizzled, gutsy sort of love song with a real Steve Earle sound to it.
That's how things sort of go on. Hour Of Need is a particularly striking song and sounds like it comes from a cold dark place as Jeff bares his soul to us. Rhythm Of The System adds some claustrophobic percussion to the mix as it slowly builds and a full band adds texture and atmosphere to the story that is being almost whispered to us very effectively.
I Know is as slow as they can play and carefully chosen words appeal to the object of his lost love as if someone had deprived someone like Steve Earle of his woman and his drugs at the same time and he has to plead to be able to get them back. Yes be begs like Jason Pierce. Lord, can you hear me call as he pleads he'll wait for you. This is almost a tearjerker and with the right video I'm sure it could be one.
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Old Times is a slow piano rumination on how good the old times were with this love he's lost. Again, he begs for some distortion and yet the piano never distorts. A heavy helping of distorted guitars however would ruin the mood of self-pity that is engulfing him. Searching sees him stalking his old home town having returned the dumped man. The violins are out and he thinks the place is forever changed, well it might have or else his life might have done. You'll have to listen to figure it out but I will say it's a cool tune and it has the album's main guitar freak out on it.
Dreams is practically upbeat-sounding compared to the rest of the album as he's hoping for better things and for a dream or two to come true. Ultimately, he knows life don't work that way, but it's a nice subtle restrained song. The album ends with one more love song to the woman who left Jeff. She really has done a number on him, but damn, at least he got a good album out of the pain and sorrow of her leaving. Besides, he'll always love her while sounding like an outtake from Steve Earle's 'Jerusalem' and there are certainly worse LPs to bring to mind.
Jeff Bell online
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