A Free Man

“Everybody at your party
They all look depressed
Everybody dressin’ funny
Color me impressed…”

-The Replacements - “Color Me Impressed”

Two Peach State acts have new records on the British shelves this week and they are doing their home state proud here across the pond.

I was one of a moaning Greek chorus regarding the fate of the Drive-By Truckers following Jason Isbell’s departure for a solo career. The Athens, Georgia based Alabamans led by Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley did the best recordings of their career after Isbell joined the band in 2001. His leaving the band coupled with the Truckers’ sub par 2006 release “A Blessing and a Curse” made me fear that the band’s best days were behind them. However, a couple of excellent reviews from sources I have a great amount of respect for convinced me to pick up the new album and I am damn glad that I did. Isbell’s loss is noticeable, but it turns out to not be as bad a thing as I thought it might. First of all, DBT has always been Cooley & Hood’s baby and they are the foundation of the band - as long as these two are around, the Truckers are going to be the Truckers. With the return of guitarist John Neff, the Truckers’ swing back toward their earlier efforts - there’s a lot more steel guitar a lot more of a country or honky-tonk sound. This is a good thing. Isbell’s ex-wife Shonna Tucker steps up as well, contributing vocals on three songs and her (and drummer Brad Morgan’s) rhythm section really shines on this album in a way that it hasn’t on past records. At 19 songs it’s a bit of a sprawling record, but it doesn’t lag in the way that it could. “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is their best effort since “Decoration Day” and while it may not be a good entry album for new listeners, for DBT fans it’s a must. Color me impressed. Enjoy Cooley’s “3 Dimes Down” and if you like it The Drive-By Truckers’ “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is available at your local independent record shop, and Amazon.

I had kind of low expectations about the new Cat Power record when I heard that it was going to be another album of covers. Cat Power’s - Georgia born Chan Marshall - first covers album of other folks’ material, appropriately named “The Covers Record” - released in 2000 was underwhelming. I was worried that “Jukebox”, released this week in the UK, was going to signal a return to Chan’s quiet mousy persona rather than the dusky soul singer of her magnificent 2006 release “The Greatest”. I needn’t have been afraid, while “Jukebox” is mostly covers,From tackling Sinatra’s “New York” as the opening track it’s evident that this isn’t a lazy artist releasing a covers record in the stead of new material. “Jukebox” represents a singer in her prime singing a set of standards for the naughties. Marshall is no more lazy than Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nina Simone or any of those great jazz divas that never sang an original song. I’m not ready to put Chan on that level yet, but “Jukebox” carries on the mood that she laid out on “The Greatest”. Marshall is at the top of her game and on this record she makes some of these songs her own. Check out Marshall’s “Metal Heart” and if you like it, Cat Power’s “Jukebox” is available at your local independent record shop, eMusic, and Amazon.

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