Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Night of the Soul

Jimbo Mathus has a solo career as substantial as his other career as a member of Squirrel Nut Zippers, and in 2014 that solo career has seen more activity. After his much-acclaimed solo album White Buffalo, his debut for the esteemed Fat Possum label, Mathus returns with Dark Night of the Soul, which was not only produced by Fat Possum’s Bruce Watson but was worked on steadily for months at Watson’s Dial Back Sound studio with engineer/instrumentalist Bronson Tew. Roughly 40 songs were brought to tape, with Watson serving as Mathus’ editor and narrowing the album to its essentials. This shows off Mathus as a rock ’n’ roll veteran, with a sense of Van Morrison, Garland Jeffreys, and Graham Parker mixing with the rougher Southern ends of Mathus’ sound. “Rock & Roll Trash” salutes the music with a tough groove and a nod to Lou Reed in the lyrics, while the Mississippi-bred Mathus uses his band The Tri-State Coalition (with Ryan Rogers on drums and the incomparable Eric “Roscoe” Ambel on guitars) to ensure nothing sounds too rehearsed or studied.

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