Chuck Prophet
¡Let Freedom Ring! (Yep Roc)For a man who claims no real affinity for politics, ¡Let Freedom Ring! is Chuck Prophet’s most overt political statement yet. Recorded in Mexico City during last year’s swine flu scare in a studio the Bay Area-based guitarist claims was modern in 1957, the disc crackles with rare air, a jolt from society’s underbelly that’s holding on to hope. “We can still dream like it’s Saturday night/We’re holding on,” he sings on melancholy waltz “You and Me Baby (Holding On).” There’s a sense of misplaced patriotism in the anthemic title track and riff-heavy “American Man,” which is augmented with cutesy oo-we-oo’s. Such minor details along with the best lyrical observations of Prophet’s lengthy nine-album career deepen ¡Let Freedom Ring! with each listen. A centerpiece is “Barely Exist,” where a slowed tempo and guitar jangle amplify a Mexican immigrant’s struggle. Petty and Springsteen have made similar statements, but politically minded or not, Prophet proves their equal when delivering his own pointed message. (Fri., 1am, Momo’s.)
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.