Wovenhand - 'Refractory Obdurate' (Glitterhouse)
I don’t believe in God, but I have complete faith in
Wovenhand lead singer and songwriter David Eugene Edwards. Which is alarming,
because Refractory Obdurate sounds a clamorous warning that something is nigh.
Rather than a direct message, Edwards offers only a shatter of brimstone
pieces; but take my word, we’re talking some cataclysmic shit. Those disciples
who’ve followed Edwards through the decades — beginning with 16 Horsepower’s
deep holler roar and evolving into Wovenhand’s eastward-facing digressions —
may have sensed a stirring in the portent of “Truth” from 2010’s The
Threshingfloor: “Will my time pass so slowly/ On the day that I fear?”
That fearful day is at hand. “Corsicana Clip” (a veritable
crown of thorns named for an old form of cast-iron barbed wire) opens
Refractory Obdurate with merciless toms, swirling Saharan guitars, and a
wandering lyric that seeks cover in “the hollow of His hand.” The acoustic
bridge, though, leads not to shelter, but an air-raid blitz of windswept
annihilation, calling forth dark jags of fuzzbomb guitar and tracer-blasts of
electrified chaos. In this hellfire torment, Edwards’ words are nearly
impossible to make out — perhaps that’s the point, perhaps the entire point is
to listen before it’s too Goddamn late — leaving only desperate scraps and
fragments, clues that “high above” lies “the place for the believer.” - Nathan Huffstutter (
“After almost 25 years together, and following last year's
Scion A/V Club split seven-inch single with friends MOAB and 2009's "Signs
Of Infinite Power", Scott Hill and company return with their first
full-length album in close to five years. Recorded with Andrew Giacumakis,
singer/guitarist for the aforementioned MOAB at his studio in Simi Valley,
California, the album features a slightly more primitive, raw and ultra
fuzzed-out sound than previous releases…”Slower, longer and heavier than most
of the recent material the band has released, the new songs find FU MANCHU
exploring different time changes and heavy sonics that the band is known for,
with some atmospheric and conceptual lyrics and artwork that will hopefully be
tying one, if not two, new records together that the band hopes will be
released this year.” – Blabbermouth.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood - 'Phosphorescent Harvest' (Silver Arrow Records)
“The average
music listener is only hearing producer-driven pop things, the album format,
you know it sounds like rock and roll is gone. It’s funny, I go to these
concerts and there’s lots of people there. How can rock and roll be gone? I
kind of think that’s the most unique aspect of where we are right now. It’s
awesome, we can live and create and play and go to concerts and do these things
without having to be hit over the head by the corporate mallet where success is
only determined through the amount of money you generate. That’s just not the
case with something as special as music.” – Chris Robinson (interview w/ Chuck Armstrong Ultimate Classic Rock)
"I am
the most messed up motherfucker in this town," snarls Rhett Miller,
frontman and primary songwriter for the Old 97's for almost a quarter century.
It's not true, of course — there's always a little wink when he's singing — but
it sure feels like it could be true as you listen to this blistering
masterpiece of a rock'n'roll record. The truth is that this terrific West Texan
band have rarely sounded less messed up in their career. Certainly not since
their first perfect album (1997's indelible Too Far To Care) have they reached
this supernatural pitch between the unrestrained energy of boozecan punk, the
captivating lyricism of confessional country and the tightly constructed songwriting
of British Invasion rock. At their best, and that is emphatically here on Most
Messed Up, the Old 97's are the very definition of that thing we like to call
alt-country: country music washed in melodic pop played by a bunch of punks.” -
Stuart Henderson (Exclaim!)
Correction: Old 97's started their career playing the Dallas club scene. Dallas isn't in the west of Texas. - The GTC
Put The Beer Down and Buy Some Albums...
NOTE: Not a single one of the other writers we excerpted from or their web-spots are associated with Global Texan Chronicles. Click the links for more on'em. Can You Dig It!
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