Chuck Prophet
Night Surfer (Yep Roc)
Reviewed by Michael Toland, Fri., April 17, 2015
Chuck Prophet
Night Surfer (Yep Roc)After years of high-concept projects, including the last three Alejandro Escovedo discs, Chuck Prophet simply plays on Night Surfer. Indulging himself, the San Franciscan sounds relaxed and confident, taking this well-crafted batch of rootsy tunes for a jaunt. The guitarist/songwriter exercises his penchant for Stonesy rock ("Felony Glamour"), Motown soul ("Countrified Inner-City Technological Man"), and pop jangle ("Tell Me Anything [Turn to Gold]") with obvious joy. He also adds imaginative touches to otherwise uncomplicated tracks, like banjo percolating behind ballad "If I Was a Baby" and electric sitar lacing heartland rocker "Laughing on the Inside." Minus a framework, Prophet's work breathes, worrying less about fitting in than stepping out. (Sat., 9:20pm, Bluebonnet stage)
