Old friend.
Longing for an old tube radio Newyorker Kenny White chooses a somewhat more veiled sound than on CD’s like Symphony In 16 Bars with acoustic bass, strings in four of eleven songs and a classically crooned ballad.
That way his rich melodies sound moodier than before, but jazz and roots elements are still present: his piano chords, occasional horns or Amy Russell’s and Olabelle’s Amy Helm’s exciting gospel vocals in opener Useless Bay for instance.
White songs once again have the characteristically flegmatic tone behind which regret and hope hide. He sings melancholically how an ureliable weather forecast mirrors his feelings, but can simultaneously picture and mock the career he still has not made himself in tone and lyrics with a reference to James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful.
With old hands like Shawn Pelton on drums and Duke Levine on guitar White proves again how unjust it is that he is only known as Peter Wolf’s producer.
***1/2