Categories : Miscellany, Music Reviews.
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Rating: 3/5 Released: April 11, 2006 Reviewer: Trent Depue |
It has been three years since Blackie & the Rodeo Kings released their last CD, but thankfully solo music from its members continues to emerge. Earlier this year Colin Linden released his acoustic blues album Easin’ Back to Tennessee and now the efforts of fellow band member Stephen Fearing have come to fruition with his spring release Yellowjacket.
Made up of primarily low to mid-voltage acoustic work, this folk album sees Fearing back in the producers seat for this first time in years. The high energy band number ‘One Flat Tire’ provides enough juice to keep the whole album going and is reminiscent of some of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings’ most recent work on Bark. Fearing also pays tribute to the late great Johnny Cash in ‘Johnny’s Lament,’ quoting the man in black in the songs opening line, “Sometimes at night when I hear the wind/I wish I was crazy again.†Finally, the album comes to a solid close with a beautiful cover of Will Kimbrough’s interpretation of the classic children’s poem “Goodnight Moon.â€
The album is slow paced and not very adventurous but accomplishes what it sets out to do. And with the music festival season just around the corner and Fearing already signed on for at least a few, there will be more than ample opportunity to impress this new work upon the masses. It seems very unlikely that anyone will walk away from his performances disappointed.
