The album includes three covers: Captain Beefheart's "Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or the Big Dig)," "The Witch" by The Sonics, and what I think is my favorite song on the album, Son House's "John The Revelator." While it doesn't have the crisp spiritual quality that defines the Son House version for me, it has an intensive work song vibe that drives the song's intensity. It evokes images of the chain gang. It is an exciting take on this traditional classic.
Dyer, something it would appear of a guitar and string nut, plays everything on all tracks, everything including banjo, ukulele, baritone guitar, resonator, mandolin and that's only a partial list. There are two instrumentals on the album. On "Pass the Jug," which he calls a "palate cleanser," he plays two different kinds of uke, but adds some counterpoint from a charango, a 10-string ukulele from Peru. "I Am Fretless" has him, you guessed it, playing fretless guitar and it has an Indian or Middle-Eastern sound. Both add a bit of variety to the album.
Clearly Dyer and his music will not appeal to everyone, and that's a shame. There is an honest earthiness to his work that is both refreshing and compelling. If you like your music raw and stripped down to its essentials, you'll want to give I Ain't Blue Anymore a listen.
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