Music Review: Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light in the West - Page 2

Nichols’ minimal lyrics illustrate the bleak musical layout: “Don’t believe in Hell / But he figures somehow / Even if it’s real / It’s gonna spit him back out”; “I done some preachin’ back in Texas before the war / Now I hunt heathens ‘cause it pays better than the Lord / I ride with Demons / The Devil at my side / Be it us or the heathens, we must all pay a heavy price”; “They took my ears in Omaha / Thought me dead but I weren’t at all / Left them bleeding in the mud / Branded me for horse thievery / Between my eyes for all to see / Left them bleeding in the mud / When this world was made / Was never meant to save / Everyone in kind / And I don’t believe / God much had me / Had me much in mind”. His phrasing delivers coldness and despair with pinpoint accuracy.

The Last Pale Light in the West is a gorgeous black and white photo of a homeless man on a cold New York street. Neon lights are around the corner, but the dark alley is the only way to get there, and there is no guarantee that the neon lights will save anybody. Going down the alley is a scary prospect, but there may be no way to stop your momentum, so you sharpen your teeth and challenge the shadows to a duel.

Article Author: Mike Hammer

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