By Paul T. Mueller
When a band’s name includes “Memphis,” it should come as no surprise – actually, it may be inevitable – that the music will incorporate diverse styles and genres. So it is with Rooted in the Bone, the first full-length CD from folk-Americana trio the Memphis Dawls, who are in fact from Memphis. The album starts off with the chamber-music strings of “Please Don’t Leave Me Now,” but horns and twangy vocals join the mix in short order. The next song, “Skin Like a Cage,” features guitar and keyboards that bring to mind some of U2’s quieter moments.
That’s how it goes on most of the other nine tracks as well. With the help of producer Jeff Powell, the Dawls – Holly Cole on guitar, Jana Misener on cello and Krista Wroten on violin, mandolin and accordion, plus numerous guests – back up their strong vocals and sweet harmonies with a variety of instrumental elements, some of them unexpected. “Liar” is a bluesy love song, seasoned with Memphis soul in the form of organ, horns and doo-wop background vocals. “Shoot ’Em Down” has a more traditional country sound, featuring the mandolin you’d expect, but also mariachi-style trumpet, courtesy of longtime collaborator Nahshon Benford. Trumpet shows up again in the bouncy, country-pop sound of “Where’d You Go My Love,” but this time it lends a jazzy New Orleans vibe.
The Dawls’ lyrics cover a somewhat narrower range, mostly dealing with love and the difficulties that come with it. They come across more as poetry than as songwriting – rhyming conventions are not always adhered to, and the allusions and metaphors are at times a bit obscure. But the words are served well by the Dawls’ expressive voices. Combined with the imaginative instrumentation, it all adds up to a refreshingly different take on well-trodden musical territory.
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