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James Jewell And Shew | Instruments And Controls

Let's welcome a mighty talent from the state of Pennsylvania.
CD, self-released

Tekst: Maurice Dielemans

Publicatiedatum: 13 februari 2002

Out of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, comes singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Jewell, with an exciting blend of folk, country, rock, blues, a good sense of Hillbilly humour, and plenty of good songs to get excited about. Although the straightforward Americana formula is seemingly alive on Jewell's follow-up to his debut album 'Wasted', and these songs are not without the usual influences of Johnny Cash, Jay Farrar, and good ol' Bob Dylan, I'll have to admit straight off that roots-rocker James Jewell isn't that conservatively-minded, especially when it comes down to writing adventurous, moving, and sometimes surreal songs within the narrow space of four minutes. Therefore, 'Instruments And Controls' is, without any doubt, a welcome addition to the staggering amount of CDs that are being released in alternative country, No Depression, Twang, or whatever scene. The evocative Johnny Cash rhythms on a number of Jewell's songs, the constant sweeping of harmonicas, even the laughing and weird monkey sounds on 'Pretend': It all seems to work perfectly well for any true fan of Americana, though it may take a couple of times before this record leaves you with a lasting impression, most likely to do with the rowdiness of the low-key production and sometimes unusual arrangements. Add the often-strong melodies, Jewell's solid writing talents, a banjo, and you have a damn fine twelve-song collection from another great Pennsylvanian band, who fit in well with the neighbours, such as Frog Holler and John Train, previously reviewed in the Twang! section of KindaMuzik. The most moving song on James Jewell And Shew's conceptual 'Instruments And Controls' is the fourth, Dylan-esque song 'Flying Away'. Of course, there are some more pretty moments, such as the jangling melodies of 'Happy Feet' and the acoustic 'Reading', which is a song more or less about their home state Pennsylvania. I'm sure that some of these songs that don't stand out immediately will grow on you sooner or later.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/james-jewell-and-shew/instruments-and-controls/1293/
Meer James Jewell And Shew op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/james-jewell-and-shew