Dustin Welch’s second album, Tijuana Bible, is a wild collection of original songs with some great energy. His voice has something of the wise-ass in it, something of the prankster – but oddly without any bullshit – like he’s going to make up a story, but by the end, it will be the total truth.
There are moments when
his vocals remind me a bit of other singers (such as Tom Waits on “Lost At
Sea,” Tom Petty on “Across The Rubicon” and Lou Reed on “Goodbye”), but Dustin
Welch still manages to have his own style, his own take on the world. And
that’s what keeps us interested. This is an album that keeps the listener engaged
throughout.
There is a good variety of songs here. “Things I Cannot
Change” is loose, bluesy folk. Some tunes are closer to straight ahead rock,
like “Across The Rubicon.” “St. Lucy’s Eyes” is a slower, mellower tune.
“Sparrows” has something of a folk feel, but still with a full sound. That
track’s instrumental section led by piano and violin is really nice. My
particular favorites are “Ash & Iron,” “Lost At Sea” and “Tango Blues.”
“Ash & Iron”
Tijuana Bible opens with “Ash & Iron,” a song that begins with
a seriously good groove, and then just builds from that. There is some nice
work on guitar early on, and when the vocals first come in, they’re like a
chant. This song has a power, and a great kick, but it’s Dustin Welch’s vocals
that really make the song something special. They’re aggressive and intense,
but with poetry as well as authority. Check out these lyrics: “Outside I hear the shutters banging in the
howling wind/So dark the shadows are that close me in/Well, lately I’ve been
feeling like there’s no one I can trust/Everything that I’ve got left I’ve left
to rust.”
“Ash & Iron” was
written by Dustin Welch and Kevin Welch.
“Lost At Sea”
“Lost At Sea” has a wonderfully
twisted, haunted feel to it, like a carnival teetering on the edge of damnation.
Dustin Welch sounds a bit like Tom Waits, the way he just delivers a lyric with
a force while seeming not to worry much about the “correct way” of doing things.
Here is a bit of the lyrics: “My head is
filled with blood/The voices ringing in my ears are those of every woman I have
loved/But I will not set foot upon the mountain/Though I know it must be such a
sight to see/Well, I will turn my face the wrong direction/This would be a good
day to get lost at sea.” And the
violin really adds to the special sound of this track.
Nathan Singleton provides
backing vocals on this song. “Lost At Sea” was written by Dustin Welch and
Jeremiah Nelson.
“Jolly Johnny Junker”
“Jolly Johnny Junker” is
more of a rock tune, with a steady beat and a bit of a brighter feel. It’s
perhaps the instrumental sections that are my favorite moments of this one.
Kayla Welch provides backing vocals on this track. “Jolly Johnny Junker” was
written by Dustin Welch and Mark Germino.
“Goodbye”
There’s a bit of Lou Reed
in Dustin’s vocal delivery on “Goodbye.” This is an oddly uplifting and
comforting song. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I hope your journey is safe, my friend/And paradise is where it ends/Oh,
the pain in our hearts, it won’t go away/I know I’ll miss you every day/And I
know that we’ll all meet again/Though I don’t know where and I don’t know when.”
My favorite sections, however, are the instrumental moments - the violin over
that steady snare actually sounds pretty.
“Goodbye” was written by
Dustin Welch and Zander Cox.
“Tango Blues”
“Tango Blues” has a seriously
cool instrumental intro that sounds from another time and place, and makes me
fall for this song immediately. Bukka Allen plays accordion on that intro. There is then an abrupt change as the song
kicks in, and it becomes a wild and intense beast. This one really wowed me. It
has an impressive force. This song is
totally delicious.
“Tango Blues” was written
by Dustin Welch, Jeremiah Nelson and Jedd Hughes.
“Tijuana Bible”
The album concludes with “Tijuana
Bible,” the CD’s title track, which has a really interesting sound. There is
this cool relentless drive to this song. I absolutely love the piano lead
section, and the way the violin builds beneath it. It’s enough to get you dancing, but there is also
something dark about it, which will affect the way your body moves. Yeah, I dig
it.
“Tijuana Bible” was
written by Dustin Welch, Rolf Heitmann and Jeff Botta.
CD Track List
- Ash & Iron
- Lost At Sea
- Jolly Johnny Junker
- Across The Rubicon
- Party Girl
- Goodbye
- Sparrows
- St. Lucy’s Eyes
- Tango Blues
- Things I Cannot Change
- Tijuana Bible
Musicians
Musicians appearing on
this CD include Dustin Welch on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo and
gut-string guitar; Jeremy Nail on electric guitar and backing vocals; Trisha
Keefer on violin; Scotty Bucklin on piano, keyboards and accordion; Steve
Bernal on bass and backing vocals; and Eldridge Goins on drums, percussion,
acoustic guitar, synth and backing vocals.
Nathan Singleton provides
backing vocals on “Lost At Sea” and “Across The Rubicon.” Drew Smith provides
backing vocals on “Party Girl.” Kayla Welch performs backing vocals on “Jolly
Johnny Junker.” Bukka Allen plays accordion on the intro to “Tango Blues.”
Tijuana Bible is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2013 on
Super Rooster Records.
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