|
The John Cowan Band
New Tattoo
(Pinecastle)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2006, Volume 13, #6
Written by John Metzger
Since the break-up of New Grass Revival, John Cowan’s output has been, at
best, sporadic and scattered. Swerving from the R&B flavors of Soul’d Out
to the progressive rock textures of Always Take Me Back, he seemingly has
done everything in his power to put some serious stylistic distance between
himself and his former band. Throughout his latest endeavor New Tattoo,
Cowan continues to employ an array of diversionary tactics, but his return to
the roots-oriented waters within which he initially established himself gives
the set an organic essence that almost succeeds in keeping the entirety of the
album afloat.
For the record, there are a few misfires: None of New Tattoo’s
centerpieces — In Bristol Town, Red Birds (in a Joshua Tree), and
Working in the New Mine — are terribly engaging. Yet, where the soul-imbued
Love’s Like Rain previously might have sounded cold and calculated, on
New Tattoo it is embraced by a warm, earthy glow. Perhaps the strangest tune
on the effort, however, is the concluding track Drown during which Cowan
chillingly revisits the molestation that he faced as a child. Both his lyrics
and his vocals are hauntingly powerful, but the song ultimately is undercut by
its deliberative arrangement, which taps into the dramatic grandeur of Dennis
DeYoung.
Not surprisingly, it’s the more straightforward selections on New Tattoo
— the rambunctious bluegrass of Carla’s Got a New Tattoo, for example, as
well as the southern California-imbued country-rock of Hurting Sure and
Back to Your Arms — that truly standout because their lack of pretense
highlights The John Cowan Band’s exquisite instrumental and harmonic
proficiency. It’s here that Cowan demonstrates that he just might be in the
process of righting a ship that appeared to capsize some time ago.  ½
New Tattoo is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
| 
