Here’s an interesting concept: take previously unrecorded lyrics by folk legend Woody Guthrie, and put them in a 21st century neo-country setting. These four gents hail from bands like Son Volt, South San Gabriel, Gob Iron and Monsters Of Folk, so you know that the music is going to mix trad with the edge. As to be expected, the slower and acoustic tunes like the eery “Chorine” and the thoughtful “Hoping Machine” come off best, while the more garage rock tunes like “Old LA” mistake cynicism for passion. Interesting, and quite creative at times, but one feels like the gents are experiencing life second hand.
Rounder Records