And, again, thanks to Dan the Automator's beats and some quirky keyboards from John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood), the sound is totally different from Spain, even with the continued presence of guitarist Merlo Podlewski: less bluesy, less organic, brighter, flatter, more trancelike in places (indeed, at times Josh's performance recalls another singer-songwriter who hooked up with a beat-focused producer, Beth Orton). Not all the experiments are successful. The upbeat "Drifting" is spoiled by an uncertain-pitched vocal and a beat that feels canned, and the harmonies on "Want You So Bad" are likewise wobbly. But balancing out these low points are some real gems: the apocalyptic imagery of "Hallelujah," the dark seduction of "Love You More," and even the Spain-manque of "Light of Day." In fact, some of the strongest moments on the disc are the ones that sound most like Josh's old band.
Which, I suppose, begs the ungenerous question: why change at all? But songs like "Show You the Way" and "Devoted" blend the plaintive songwriting of Haden's older canon with a fresher musical palette, and maybe that's the value of this recording: helping to distill the essence of Haden's songwriting in the absence of the sonic hallmarks of the old band.
Article comments