When David Childers released "Room 23"' his previous, excellent, album, I remember being confused as to where the heart of his music lay, such was the variety of styles. Well from three bars in to Jailhouse Religion there can be no doubt: he's a rock and roll man and he's not going quietly. Tumbling guitar notes are drowned under power chords and a thudding rhythm section as the band launch into "No Pool Hall".
When you've got the message that hard rocking is what this band is about, the band rein back a bit for track 4 "Bottom of my Bottle", and you get to hear that in another musical context David Childers would be a folksinger. Sometimes humorous and sometimes tender, he writes slice-of-life story songs that deal with his own and other people's stories, facing up to the sometimes bleak realities of life, but celebrating the joys too. He deals with political issues as well, and here his humorous take on George Wallace's career (simply, "George Wallace") is a standout track for me. The religious theme that appears in the title track (Jailhouse religion is apparently first cousin to deathbed religion) crops up in other places too, and clearly religion is an issue that you have to contend with, no matter what your personal beliefs, in the America of today. The delightful "Roadside Parable" is a revisiting of the tale of the Good Samaritan, with the singer being one of those who passed by on the other side....and then regretted it.
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Like any good rock band, the slower, quieter songs come slow and quiet but never less than muscular because thy're always playing and singing above the sound of the crowd at the bar. Only "Chains of Sadness" with its use of mandolin and banjo has a lightness and delicacy that escapes the general rule. Live, I bet these guys put on a storming set, and the songs will get under your skin and stay with you. Time to check them out if you haven't already.
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