by Paul T. Mueller
It’s not always easy to tell what singer-songwriter Drew de Man is trying to say. The subtitle of his Tumblr site reads “Exploring and expanding the roots and branches of rocknroll poetry.” His lyrics tend toward imagery that’s often obscure and sometimes seemingly random. All this may have something to do with geography: de Man is a Georgia native who used to live in Atlanta, where he attended college and later spent several years fronting alt-country outfit No River City. He moved to Portland, Ore., a while back, and his more recent music seems to reflect the looser, hipper vibe of the West Coast.
What hasn’t changed is de Man’s ear for melody and his skill on a variety of instruments. The album’s nine songs feature plenty of nicely played guitar, both acoustic and electric, as well as the other things you might expect – bass, piano, drums – and some you might not – jaw harp, tanpura (something like a sitar), and udu (an African percussion instrument). It adds up to an interesting mix that’s fun to listen to.
Picking obscure instruments out of the mix is easier than describing de Man’s lyrics, but here’s a start. “Kingsferry” is a kind of road tale, played in a catchy, Tom Pettyish way. “Unspeakable Things” reads like something of a memoir, fueled by guitar riffs that Keith Richards wouldn’t be ashamed of. “The Luckiest Guy” is countrified love ballad, played in a style that recalls the Grateful Dead’s acoustic side. “I’d Give a Whole Lot,” the closing track, is a slow, mournful song that seems to be a tribute to a musical hero of de Man’s youth. “I’d give a whole lot,” he sings, “just to hear him play again.” Jerry Garcia? Duane Allman? Hard to say – maybe it’s best to just sit back and enjoy.
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