Jon Dee Graham - Escape From Monster Island (2003)

Tracklist

01. $100 Bill
02. When a Woman Cries
03. Big Canal
04. Wave Goodbye
05. Faithless
06. Mockingbird Smile
07. Soonday
08. Kings
09. Wait
10. Airplane

Jon Dee Graham has a distinct, gruff voice delivering country/folk images of undeniable vision and effect. This eloquent troubadour belies a Texas punk background as guitarist for the Skunks and then True Believers. Following this, a stint in L.A. led Graham to work with members of X, Michelle Shocked, Simon Bonney, and more. Distilling these varied experiences, Graham suggests "A dog may bark out in the night/The sound of the clock by the bed marking time/A door may slam, a dish may beak/I don't give a damn, some songs I can take." Graham has many sounds -- from Texas blues to noncommercial rock -- giving back a forlorn and abandoned beauty. The songbook on this stark album is direct, human, and replete in effective metaphor. A variety of guitars (dobro, acoustic, electric, and ghost steel) are complemented by piano and B-3 organ on this release.

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