By Mac Randall
Secret South (Razor & Tie)
here’s spooks in them there tunes, and presumably
that’s just the way 16 Horsepower’s leader David Eugene
wants it. Secret South, the Colorado-based band's third
album, is chock full of death and ghosts, Cod and Satan,
curses and premonitions—all the good stuff, basically.
Although it’s not a radical departure from 16 HP’s usual
moody hybrid of rock, folk and country (heard previously on
1996's Sackcloth ’n’ Ashes and 1998’s Low Estate), it does
bring the formula to a new level of refinement. Opening with
the roar of “Clogger,” driven by a viciously distorted bass
line, Eugene declaims like a possessed preacher calling for
the final judgment. On “Wayfaring Stranger,” he sings about
crossing the Jordan over a spare Appalachian backdrop that
delves into the same haunted corners similarly explored by
Harry Smith’s famed Anthology Of American Folk Music.
Through 11 weighty songs, Eugene’s singing maintains an
almost maniacal sense of yearning that’s also reminiscent of
such other no-holds-barred vocalists as Tim Buckley and Ian
McCulloch. The album reaches its climax with a remarkable
rendition of Bob Dylan's “Nobody 'Cept You,” transformed
from its original, tentative reading on The Bootleg Series into
a swelling anthem of devotion, whose images of distant
church bells and cemetery dances makes delicious counter
point with Eugene’s spiritual vision. If you're a fan of the dark
drama of Nick Cave or PJ Harvey, you owe it to yourself to
check out Secret South. •
The Harsh Light Of Day (Hollywood)
t was only two years ago that Fastball was ruling the air
waves with a catchy ode to rootlessness called "The Way.”
Bouncing back from a barely noticed 1996 debut, Make
Your Mama Proud, this hard-working Austin, Texas trio
turned themselves into one of the surprise success stories of
'98 with their second full-length release, All The Pain Money
Can Buy. One platinum certification later, the trio has
returned to a shockingly different pop landscape. Rest
assured, they haven't gone disco or hired Max Martin to write
up a few Britney-style numbers. Instead, they’ve stuck to
what they do best: old-fashioned guitar-powered pop with a
premium on melody. As in the past, bassist Tony Scalzo splits
the singing and songwriting with guitarist Miles Zuniga. The
former’s chipper delivery of wide-ranging tunes contrasts
nicely with the latter's gruff introspectiveness: check out the
way Zuniga’s pensive ballad “Vampires” explodes into the
euphoric chorus of Scalzo’s “Wind Me Up.”
More ambitious than Fastball’s previous two albums, The
Harsh Light Of Day piles on strings, mariachi brass, and guest
appearances—legendary pianist Billy Preston on the jaunty
“You’re An Ocean,” nouveau swinger Brian Setzer on "Love Is
Expensive And Free.” In the end, the focus is squarely on first
class songwriting. Though there isn’t a single track that sticks
out as obviously as “The Way” did, the album as a whole is their
strongest yet. •
For label, fan club and music information for both bands, go to steamtunnels.net