New Music From The Bardos, The ExLaws
The Bardos
Garage Tapes Vol. 1 and 2
Abe Houck, who possesses the twin skills of playing with some of the most musically creative and intelligent folks around and also being one of them, has released a new project under the name The Bardos.
My age being what it is, my physician has advised me to avoid straining metaphors, so rather than filling in a mad lib of superlatives I’d never actually use in any other situation, I’ll be a bit more direct.
Vol 1. is stylistically very much like the Beatles at the beginning of their experimental phase, long after the bubblegum pop of the early days and before the self-indulgent high weirdness of later years.
To offer an analogy, an amateur chef or “foodie” will try to “dress up” their lack of experience and/or skill by overusing complicated techniques and unusual ingredients to create a dish whose only real appeal is its novelty; otherwise it is mediocre fare at best. A master chef is certainly capable of creating elaborate dishes but with equal facility may prepare a delicious meal from the most basic ingredients.
In this latest outing, Houck is that master chef, combining basic ingredients in clever and tasteful ways to create music that is unique, unpretentious, and a pleasure to hear. Why isn’t it more complex?
Houck certainly has the chops to pull off the proggiest prog-rock if he cared to. It isn’t more technically complicated because it doesn’t need to be. The ability to say more with less is the hallmark of high-level artistry and Houck has it in abundance.
Vol. 2 follows the same approach, but is peppered with some slightly darker sounding material, reminiscent of Nick Cave’s solo work. Houck has an uncanny ability to create a perfectly peaceful, happy scene and inject it with an air of menace, a certain “things are not what they seem” quality.
Understand that these are meant to be only the most general descriptions of the work represented here, which actually covers significantly more ground than “tasty retro” and “spooky”. “Hunter’s Moon” is a personal favorite with a positively Western feel, while the preceding track, “Milk and Moonshine, a Libation”, is as dreamy and ethereal as it comes.
In fact, the two-disc compilation is perhaps best described as a private tour through the mind of one of the most musically creative artists in the area, encompassing a range of styles that all blend seamlessly into a complete work.
Houck is of the best male vocalists around, and certainly one of the most distinctive. His voice is the unifying element throughout these tracks.
Like a certain rug, it really ties the room together in this smartly curated collection of fascinating and highly listenable tunes.
The music is ready for sampling and purchase via Bandcamp now, and its combination of quality and variety makes it a set you’ll listen to over and over again.
The ExLaws
Rossville Skyline
The ExLaws have a new album up for grabs and lordy-loo, what an album! These cats have been consistently cranking out excellent tunes for quite a while and have a more impressive discography than many a famous group.
At the heart of their success is a simple enough formula. Step one, write incredibly catchy tunes. Step two, grab instruments, step behind a microphone and wail.
Gritty, dirty, raw, powerful…those are just some stream-of-consciousness adjectives that describe the music of the ExLaws and Rossville Skyline is no exception. You’d be hard pressed to find more “from the gut” music than this band makes and it is beautiful in all its gravelly passion.
Nominally outlaw country, the early rock and blues influences are unmistakable. The album is not what you’d call pretty. If it were, it wouldn’t be worth a damn. No, in lieu of pretty, the ExLaws don the mantle of dirt and calluses, faded denim and whiskey, and—to quote the late Donald Dunn—it’s powerful enough to turn goat piss to gasoline. Let’s be clear, though: a thing doesn’t have to be pretty to be beautiful, and there is some beautiful music on this album.
Vocal duties in the ExLaws are shared between two members. One (one of the most prolific and talented songwriters I have ever met), has a voice that epitomizes all of the qualities of the band listed so far. The other is less back-lot gravel, more worn leather, and between them, the duo brings to life the smartly written lyrics which, all rough-and-ready qualities aside, are poignant, heartfelt, and at times, quite touching. Consider it “cowboy poetry”.
The instrumentation is less “well-oiled machine” than “indestructible tank”, absolutely appropriate for the music and the spirit of the band. Understand, that doesn’t mean sloppy or unprofessional, it means confident and capable and exactly the way you’d hear a band play live in a crowded, smoky, roadside bar as opposed to the crisp, clean perfectionism of a pristine studio.
The track list alone gives you a sense of what the group is all about. “Dixie after Dark”, “Murder is My Name”, and “The Lights Are Going Out in Arkansas Tonight” could all be original tunes by Johnny Cash if he were a young man today. I don’t say that lightly.
The songwriting is absolutely top-notch and, taken with the hard-as-nails delivery from the band itself, one is left with the impression that here is a band for whom honesty and sincerity are first. Above all other things, here is a band that wears its scars with pride.