ARTiST: Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward
ALBUM: The Lonesome Dirge
BiTRATE: 180kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: n/a
GENRE: Rock
SiZE: 60.05 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 44min 15sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-07-03
STORE DATE: 2008-03-27
Track List:
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01. Firefight 3:56
02. 10 Lb Test 4:07
03. Atlantic City 3:46
04. In the River 3:18
05. Brother 4:04
06. Ghost 4:44
07. Wild Man From Borneo 3:54
08. A Knife Beneath Your Pillow 3:03
09. I'm Never Getting Married 2:54
10. Tell Me What It Is 5:22
11. 11 Hours 5:07
Release Notes:
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While Parker and The Pesos found regional success in Texas on the strength of
their remarkable 2004 self-released debut, Blow The Soot Out, the Denton,
TX-based quintet are poised to break out nationally with The Lonesome Dirge û a
breathtaking, often heart-stopping, album brimming with Americana anthems,
harrowing Southern Gothic balladry and shit-kicking roadhouse rockers that
channels the likes of Steve Earle, Old 97s and Son Volt.
The album immediately stampedes out of gate with the unbridled dynamics of the
driving opener öFirefight,ö before shooting straight into the passionate number
ô10 lb Test,ö where, amid indelible hooks and stinging guitar, ParkerÆs warm,
whiskey-soaked voice sweetly cracks with a touch of wild honey. ôBrotherö is a
moving ballad that culminates with not only proud, pounding choruses but also
showcases the volatile musical dexterity of this explosive outfit, while songs
such as ôWild Man From Borneo,ö ôTell Me What It Isö and ôIÆm Never Getting
Marriedö are performed with both fiery passion and clenched-fisted conviction.
The band also manages to breathe further life into a spirited reworking of
SpringsteenÆs ôAtlantic City,ö while the albumÆs sparse, haunting closing number
ô11 Hours,ö coincidentally, hearkens back to the ghostly acoustic landscape of
BruceÆs Nebraska album.
What these eleven-tracks û alternately capable of touching the heart and
loosening the floorboards - prove more than anything else, though, is that
Rodney Parker is one of those rare singer/songwriters to be reckoned with. While
the word æmasterpieceÆ may seem a bit lofty to attach so readily to any record
this early in an artistÆs career, The Lonesome Dirge is as worthy a contender as
youÆre likely to find today.