Trax
08/02/2007
JASON ISBELL, Sirens of the Ditch (New West): Scuttlebutt’s been circulating for a few years about Drive-By Truckers guitarist/songwriter Isbell’s solo album; his sterling contributions to the DBTs canon raised expectations high, especially after the Alabama native abruptly departed the DBTs last year. Fans expecting an anthemic “Outfit” every track may be disappointed, if only because half of this promising disc’s more acoustic. But “Sirens” pulses with the rhythmic allure of the Southern rock, soul and R&B Isbell clearly knows inside out, and he displays a daunting gift for story songs like the quietly devastating “Dress Blues,” about a soldier friend killed overseas: “There’s silent old men from the corps/ What did they say when they shipped you away/ To fight somebody’s Hollywood war?/ …You never planned on the bombs in the sand/ Or sleeping in your dress blues.” Headlining the Troubadour in West Hollywood Monday. www.jasonisbell.com
JOHN HOSKINSON, Pancho Fantastico (Tallboy): The nature of chaotic times seems to breed affection for well-constructed pop tunes where rhythmic drive, romantic lyrics, harmonic tension — everything — all get resolved in three minutes. Undersung power-popper Hoskinson has an unsettling knack for wrapping catchy, upbeat melodies around dark sentiments, as on “We Can Never Be Friends” and “Guaranteed” (“We both want the same thing/ A better life for you than I could ever bring”). The standout track is “Creepy,” whose rhythmic bounce is so addictive listeners may not even heed its lyrical undersides. Playing Karma Coffeehouse in Hollywood Friday. www.johnhoskinson.com
GWENDOLYN, Lower Mill Road (Whispersquish): Singer-songwriter/TV composer Gwendolyn was queen of quirk on the local scene even before freak folk had a name, which fortuitously led to some success making music for kids. But her newest release, recorded five years ago in Scotland with producer Ben Vaughn thoughtfully minding the proceedings, traces a more traditional folk path. Lush Celtic settings are well suited to these nine songs about false-hearted lovers, communing with the elements and the cycles of time. CD release party at the Bordello in downtown LA Tuesday. www.gwendolyn.net
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