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Once a year or so, a record comes along that renews my faith in the
underground music scene. This year, Michael Dean Damron holds
that honor. Taking only the choice bits from his erstwhile rock and
roll band I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In The House, Damron takes
a basic bluesy, Americana music and endows it with his own distinctive
voice and style. The album is an enjoyable listen, but contains an
immense depth that belies its simple musical meanderings. Michael
Damron is like an angry John Mellencamp on a five-day bender…
angry and poetic with quite a bit more to say than most modern songwriters
ever dare.
From the protest song style of true story "Spit" (about
Damron's friend Lin "Spit" Newborn who was killed
while engaging in a protest demonstration) to the sensual love poetry
of "Montana", Damron shows himself able to not only write
great songs, but also to sing them in an emotional and evocative way.
Damron's dark humor makes itself readily apparent on tracks like "Pot
To Piss In", where he spouts lyric like "I don't need a
lot of money/ I don't need no bling, bling/ I just need this here
guitar/ And a fresh guitar string." "Blame It On The Whiskey"
takes a sideways glance at a classic country form, imbuing the formula
with a darkness and intensity that has been missing in so much of
modern music.
Damron has recorded an album that hauntingly showcases all the evils,
trials, loves, and triumphs of his own soul. He lays bare his heart
for the listener, allowing a glimpse into his own very personal world.
But the excellence of this record lies not in these simple facts,
but in the greatness of the way that Damron writes his songs and sings
them. There is about as much heart and strength in these songs as
I've ever heard… kind of reminds me a bit of a young Robert
Zimmerman.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Little Girl Blue
2. Spit
3. A Perfect Day For A Funeral
4. Pot To Piss In
5. Montana
6. Girl In A Box
7. The Cape
8. Blame It On The Whiskey
9. Outlaw Song
10. Miss Amphetamine
11. New Paint
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Michael
Dean Damron
