ARTIST: Ox
TITLE: Dust Bowl Ballads
LABEL: Pop Fiction Records
GENRE: Indie
TIME: 45:30 min
SIZE: 67,6 MB
RIP DATE: May-22-2005
RELEASE DATE: Jun-13-2005
WEBSITE: www.oxmusic.ws
Track List:
01. Harvester 04:23
02. Iowa 06:45
03. Going Away 02:35
04. Brand New Key 02:26
05. Spinning Wheels 02:52
06. Truck Driving Country Music Promoter 04:13
07. Sugar Cane 03:37
08. Love Henry 05:05
09. Rodeoman 03:45
10. Qb 02:01
11. Weaving Pt. 2 02:30
12. 1913 05:18
Release Notes:
If you close your eyes, and listen to the opening
two tracks, you could be forgiven for thinking that
you are listening to some kind of Neil Young tribute
band covering obscure, previously unheard songs by
the maestro. Whether this is a compliment or a put
down is, of course, open to discussion. Further
investigation, however, reveals that other
influences are at play here too, and that a fair
measure of individuality and character has been
retained to take this well beyond any possible
accusations of plagiarism. "Love Henry" and
"Weaving" are both very reminiscent of Ron Sexsmith,
and the sardonic " Truck Drivin Country Music
Promoter" sounds like Hank Wangford meets Jim White,
with some tongue in cheek vocals and a great big
sound with lots of echo in evidence. " Sugar Cane"
and " Going Away" are simply great country songs ,
full stop, the latter having that loose, lazy stoned
Grateful Dead feel. "Spinning Wheels" is a
marvelously evocative, lonesome song with Mark
Browning's guitar / vocal supported only by some
brief dashes of colour from firstly pedal steel,
then dobro. The whole thing has been recorded live ,
complete with false starts, sounds from the control
room etc, and is for the most part very convincing.
The only negative aspects are a pointless , aimless
vesion of Melanie's " Brand New Key" and a feeling
that the hippy ,shambolic approach which works most
of the time, gets just a little self indulgent and
irritating at times.