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This looks like just another County disk,
with its picture of four down-home looking guys on a
rural porch. Don’t let that fool you, though. This
is a brilliant double CD.
The base is Country, particularly in Graham
Guest’s vocals (Moses Guest is an ancestor and the
subject of the first song, “Saint Me.”) The
stellar production has more of a pop/sound, however.
And Rick Thompson has a great deal of jazz and rock
influence in his keyboard playing.
The lyrics are intricate, an almost perfect
mixture of Country themes and singer/songwriter
complexity. “Please come see me ‘cause I be
Cellophane Man,” is not likely to be something you
will hear much on your local Country station.
Neither is “well I
said, fuck you” on “I Do Not Love You.”
This
lyric is a wonderful surprise, not for the use of
the “f” word, but because it is clear that this
band cares more about the messages of the songs than
about commercial airplay.
A number of other musicians play on this CD
besides the four band members.
The other two are James Edwards on drums and
Jeremy Horton on bass. Steve Palousek has many
appearances on pedal steel and Dobro. Andy Saad
plays saxophone on a few cuts, including “Boogie
Heartache,” a great mix of jazz and rock. There is
even a string quartet and a fine orchestral
arrangement on “Song for Dead.”
The dual guitar work between Graham Guest and
various other guests is notable, and includes four
instrumentals.
One jam segues into the song “Stealin’”.
Much of it is rock based, but there is plenty
of acoustic work and even a bit of Grateful Dead
type jamming.
The original Moses Guest may be dead (a
picture of his tombstone is included in the cover
art), but the band is one of the most lively and
forward-looking that you may ever hear.
Web Site: http://www.mosesguest.com
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by
Dave Howell
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