Alejandro Escovedo
A Man Under the Influence
[Bloodshot]
Rating: 8.3
Old cowpunks don't die, they just get softer. At least that seems to be the
case with Alejandro Escovedo. He's been around for ages now, first appearing
with mid-70s Bay Area punks the Nuns. In 1981, he made the move to Austin,
Texas with his band Rank and File, whose Sundown album was vastly ahead
of the rockabilly-punk curve. And he's been a stalwart on the scene ever
since, playing with True Believers and Buick MacKane, in addition to recording
his own solo work.
His fifth solo effort finds him in territory several miles removed from his
rough and tumble beginnings, and only once reaching for straight-up rock n'
roll. (The rock number, a rollicking, curiously Georgia Satellites-ish
"Castanets" guests Superchunk's John Wurster and Mac MacCaughan, though you'd
never know it without reading the credits.) Instead, he spends time exploring
the peaks and valleys of melody and rich arrangements, creating the most
subtle, textured album of his career.
Escovedo taps some high-powered guests to achieve this more ambitious sound,
including ex-Whiskeytown frontman Ryan Adams on backing vocals, Buick MacKane's
Joe Eddy Hines and ex-Let's Active frontman Mitch Easter on guitar, session
drummer Hector Muñoz, the Squirrel Nut Zippers' Chris Phillips on percussion,
and some guy named Cornbread on bass. But without a doubt, the two guest
musicians who lend the most to A Man Under the Influence are Brian
Standefer and Eric Heywood. Standefer's cello adds immense depth and color
to all but one song here, serving as an effective countermelodic foil for
Escovedo's steady tenor. For his part, Heywood (who has played with Richard
Buckner, Freakwater, the Jayhawks, and Son Volt, to name just a few) provides
the gorgeous steel guitar lines that brighten the corners of the swooning
ballads that fill the bulk of the record.
The record opens with two songs Escovedo penned for the travelling play "By
the Hand of the Father." "Wave" begins with tense strumming over droning
cello and double bass. Escovedo's voice hovers over the proceedings,
declaiming, "Wave goodbye, everybody waves goodbye," before the whole band
slips into an easy groove and all tension is released. "Rosalie" follows,
reminiscent of Key Lime Pie-era Camper Van Beethoven, a frequent
comparison point for the mid-tempo numbers, as Escovedo and David Lowery
have similar melodic styles.
The album's two high points come during two of those mid-tempo numbers,
"Rhapsody" and "Velvet Guitar," both of which offer a look at Escovedo's
passion for music. Our social conditioning and all the Mexican Day of the
Dead imagery in the artwork automatically suggest alcohol to us when we hear
the album title, but it's these two songs that make it clear that Escovedo
is primarily under the influence of his love for music. "Rhapsody" finds
him musing, "If the melody escapes me/ I will stumble upon it soon/ If it's
not a rhapsody/ Then it'll just have to do." "Velvet Guitar" is just flat-out
joyful, and features five guys playing electric guitar. Five guys! That's a
lot of guitar. Thankfully, Chris Stamey's clear production keeps them all
in their respective places, avoiding a sloppy mess.
Of the slowest tracks here, "Wedding Day" is the best, with vocalist Lynn
Blakey harmonizing with Escovedo over Standefer's sonorous cello and subtle
harmonium. It's pretty without totally sacrificing its edge, as is "Follow
You Down," a melancholy acoustic ballad swimming in David Perales' violin
overdubs.
On the whole, A Man Under the Influence doesn't offer much to
criticize; it's well-played, well-written, solid music from a certified
veteran. Very occasionally, the band gets to a point where too many people
are playing, and none are doing anything that spectacular. But this is a
weak complaint, and one that hardly bares mentioning. In truth, A Man
Under the Influence feels like the culmination of a great career. And
Escovedo is one old cowpunk we should hope doesn't go out to pasture any
time soon.
-Joe Tangari