Recorded in one evening, John Houx’s debut album is a solid, stripped down country record, full of mid-western charm and loneliness. Various approaches to country are on display on this record, and the ideas are simple but effective.
‘Right Together, Left Alone’ sounds very much like Cat Stevens, with the simple piano part playing alongside the drunken lament of the vocals. ‘Apple On A Table, Green’ is a livelier acoustic number, very much in the vein of traditional country music. It sounds like an old standard that Jack White would be inclined to stick in the middle of a song when playing live.
In comparison, ‘Born in 1984’ is more of a narrative effort, talking a little about his childhood to the guitar-hops that Johnny Cash made a career out of. Thoughts of Neutral Milk Hotel crop up at this time – it’s not quite the same, but they definitely share the same spirit. This is quickly followed by the sombre then speedy suicide epic ‘Nature’s Boy,’ which is the epitome of strong story-telling, like when the Stereophonics were only interested in the seedy underbelly of a small Welsh village.
It shows that music really doesn’t need to be a big budget affair to make an impact. The term ‘rustic charm’ can often be said with a sneer, but for this album it adds something to it. The rough edges haven’t been polished away, and it feels like a spontaneous one take affair, and you can imagine the live show from what you hear here. It feels intimate in its simplicity.
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‘Fight No More Forever’ is another traditional sounding effort that you could mistake for an old hymn if you didn’t listen closely. It’s a sweet song compared to some of the other efforts which are more grim in tone. Various moods are depicted on the album, which is more than enough to keep your attention throughout. It’s not endless pessimism that eventually drags you down, nor is it saccharine optimism. From these songs along, he seems like a personable kind of bloke.
‘John Houx’s Cigaret Rag’ sounds like Johnny Cash’s ‘A Boy Named Sue,’ and you’re firmly booted out of 2009 and back in time as far as you’d like to go. It’s not that this is anything new, but it is done very well. The lyrics are perhaps the best on the album, and the harmonica makes a welcome contribution. ‘Bird, Bird, Bird’ is gentle but searing, like an understated Jeff Buckley if I’m being kind.
By no means genre-busting, this is an enjoyable excursion through country music, reminiscent of the spirit of Johnny Cash at times, at others like the early years of The Mountain Goats. Americana can rejoice, for they have found themselves a new potential hero in John Houx.
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