Albums I Like: Chatham County Line, IV

I have a bad habit of beginning my interest in an artist with a random album from the middle of their body of work. This particular album is the fourth in Chatham County Line's collection, as the name would clearly indicate to any Roman, and was released in 2008.

I first became interested in Chatham County Line thanks to the magic of Pandora. I believe my station was based on Old Crow Medicine Show or some such thing. As I'm riding the bus from home to the DC Metro, out springs this bittersweet, captivating tenor voice signing poetic lyrics atop a simple, jangly old time rhythm. The song was actually "Speed of the Whippoorwill," from the album of the same title. It's a great song, but not on the album I mean to discuss here. The point is simply that the strength of this song prompted me to investigate the band deeper.

So went to iTunes to check out some demos of the band's work, and I was impressed. Initially I thought of buying the Speed of the Whippoorwill album, but was persuaded to go with IV. Why did I do this? Well there were a few reasons, but one that stands atop the others: "Country Boy/City Boy."

I don't believe I've yet found a song that so accurately conveys the "grass is greener" mindset of someone like me whose heart is divided between the rural and urban facets of American life. In some sense, it's frustrating to hear this tension put so clearly because it emphasizes just how impossible it is to reconcile those two desires. But the song itself is musically straightforward and upbeat, which makes the message easier to hear. Others probably won't have the same reaction to this song, since the urban/rural problem is particularly pronounced for me, but surely enough people can relate to make this message broadly meaningful.

Beyond this song, though, there is a lot of good stuff on the album that makes it worthwhile. The celestial imagery of "Chip of a Star" is peaceful and poetic. "Let It Rock" is blues/old time fusion at its best, and creates an uncontrollable foot-tapping impulse in all reasonable living animals. "Birmingham Jail" even provides a healthy does of social commentary that you don't usually get with string bands. There's a pretty good chunk of really slow stuff on there that might lull a bit if you're used to more energetic styles of music. For some, this material may seem like filler, but the smooth vocal harmony and not-overly-prominent table guitar makes it more calming than boring. The instrumentals are not "look how great I am at music" sessions. They are melodic and fun to listen to, with just a little healthy dose of exhibitionism. It's almost too bad that there are instrumentals on the album though, because I just never seem to get enough of the lead singer's voice. It's rare that a singer can get me to pay attention to song lyrics, but this guy does it with a natural soulfulness that is equally at home reciting poetry, spinnin' a yarn, or slurring a traditional blues line.

Overall, the album is a great fusion of styles: folk, old time, blues, and even a little country. It's not for lovers of complex interweaving lines or energy/angst-ridden rock, but it is a nice example of how music can be both calm and interesting, and walk stylistic boundaries without hitting you in the face with too much fusion.

(Quick note that this is my first ever album review, and I do take requests and guest contributions. I also invite thoughtful commentary, even if it takes the form of disagreement.)