MUSIC REVIEW - Jace Everett

Jace Everett – Red Revelations

Jace Everett is going to sell a fair number of his new CD based solely on the fact that the last song on his new album Red Revelations, is the theme to the popular show “True Blood”. However, people who no his previous, more country albums, will be a bit surprised by his latest effort. Produced by indie-bluesman Chuck Prophet, this album features more layering and a production-style more in line with alt-folk and indie. Which I welcome whole-heatedly, since I hate modern country.

The CD is in the recently popular style of blues that invokes the nostalgia of the old west while staying modern – think “No Country for Old Men” as an album. Red Revelations separates itself from several of the other artists currently exploring this genre (i.e. The Black Keys, The Pack A.D., or Chuck Prophet) by staying far away from the political or the dramatic, and focusing strictly on the topics of love, lust, desire, and want. It is an album centered around Everett's chase after a series of women.

Every song on the album can be assigned to one of three blues styles: Slow, lustful songs with squawking lyrics that are reminiscent of bands like Mott the Hoople; galloping blues-rock with staccato finger-picking; and deep, growling songs were Jace sings in a deep, soulful tone, then all of a sudden drops down to a level that vibrates into your chest. The latter are my favorite, being imbued with a dark foreboding that hovers around such songs – similar in to tone to songs with Johnny Cash's low rumble.

Not every song is a winner. Track 8, 'Little Black Dress', was a big, poppy letdown, especially since it was placed between two of the better songs on the album. Track 10, 'What it is', is similarly disappointing. However, there is enough on it to warrant checking out if you're into the blues that have been produced of late.

Check out tracks 1 ('Possession'), 7 ('Permanent Thing'), and, of course, 12 ('Bad Things' – the theme from “True Blood”).

Will I play it on my show? Yes. RIYL – Chuck Prophet, Dan Auerbach.

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