Artist: William Elliott Whitmore
Album: Radium Death
Bitrate: 235kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Anti-
Genre: Rock
Size: 62.65 megs
PlayTime: 0h 35min 21sec total
Rip Date: 2015-04-18
Store Date: 2015-03-31
Track List:
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01. Healing To Do 3:29
02. Civilizations 3:28
03. Trouble In Your Heart 3:17
04. A Thousand Deaths 3:13
05. Go On Home 3:25
06. Don't Strike Me Down 3:35
07. Can't Go Back 4:03
08. South Lee Country Brew 2:56
09. Have Mercy 2:36
10. Ain't Gone Yet 5:19
Release Notes:
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The surface-level view of William Elliott Whitmore is that of a midwestern
folkie, having grown up in Iowa on his familyÆs farm. In fact, his authentic,
earthy American roots are a defining quality in his music; his soulful vocals
and simple plucks of banjo or acoustic guitar are all heÆs ever really needed to
convey a direct, emotional message of darkness and loss. But if heÆs an earnest,
heartland troubadour, heÆs one thatÆs always had one foot in the world of punk
rock, having grown up listening to bands like Bad Brains and The Minutemen. HeÆs
toured with the likes of Salem hardcore outfit Converge, and heÆs covered Bad
Religion. Deep within that haunting, old-fashioned sound is the spirit of a
plugged-in punk rocker, eager and ready to make some noise.
ThatÆs never been more apparent than on WhitmoreÆs sixth album, Radium Death.
ItÆs the loudest and most raucous of his albums to date, and he shows that hand
early, tearing into ôHealing to Doö with a simple, albeit distorted chord
progression set against a galloping drum beat. ItÆs not a dramatic change by any
means ù turn down the overdrive, and let the drums fade out, and what youÆre
left with is a song that could have been on 2011Æs Field Songs, or any of his
previous records. But when he unleashed a throaty screech in the songÆs final
minute, Whitmore makes it perfectly clear that a mighty beast has been set free.
ItÆs to WhitmoreÆs credit, then, that he can transition back to a rustic folk
ditty without raising an eyebrow. The song that immediately follows,
ôCivilizationsö is a stark bluegrass jaunt that finds Whitmore examining ideas
of personal freedom and community, returning to the phrase, ôDonÆt mind me/ IÆm
just livinÆ here.ö And ôGo On Home,ö though electric, has the simple melancholy
of any of the highlights on Bruce SpringsteenÆs Nebraska.
And yet, when Whitmore cranks the volume and builds up some momentum, heÆs
committed to rocking out, channeling Uncle Tupelo on ôA Thousand Deathsö or
Lucero on the outstanding ôDonÆt Strike Me Down.ö On Radium Death, however,
these only consume part of the album, like punctuation marks after passages of
stripped-down, simple folk. Whitmore might only occasionally let that rock ænÆ
roll animal out from time to time, but that scarcity ù coupled with excellent
pacing ù is exactly what makes it so exciting.