THE WACO BROTHERS
Electric Waco Chair (Bloodshot)
Live, the Waco Brothers put across an unbelievably forceful and energetic show that leaves audi-ences exhausted, exhilarated, and panting for more. On the other hand, their recorded output, though it shows some great performances and songcraft, has never quite captured the band’s mastery of the live medium. The Brothers come a lot closer on this new Bloodshot release, though; a lucky 13 songs about down, but far from out, losers shoved out to the fringes of society and trying to kick their way back in. “Dragging My Own Tombstone” and “Walking On Hell’s Roof Looking at the Flowers” are titles that say a lot about the direction of this latest release. Head Waco and Bloodshot gadabout Jon Langford wisely eases off the dialectics and keeps his pure-Socialist political leanings a bit oblique, instead opting more for Woody Guthrie-style populism and biting, bitter commentary on the New Economy, the 9-to-5 hamster wheel, and Wal-Mart-style consumerism, all set to a bleak Midwestern context. Musically, the Wacos seem more like a full-on rock band these days, though the dobro and mandolin on several songs still puts them squarely in the Bloodshot stable (as does the presence of Bloodshot stalwart Kelly Hogan on “Circle Tour”). End result: a baker’s dozen of consolation-prize anthems for the disenfranchised, all delivered with more than a modicum of up-yours attitude. Now, when are they coming to town again?
This article appears in Rick Perry.