Black Ribbons

iTunes Review

Waylon Jennings’ son Shooter abandons the alt-country his genes all but demanded from him and joins up with a new group of musicians who put the pedal to the metal. And suddenly Jennings is fronting a band that’s one part Soundgarden, another part Queensryche and a third part Jesus Christ Superstar. Black Ribbons is assembled like The Who Sell Out or Roger Waters’ Radio K.A.O.S. with Stephen King serving as the doomsday DJ in between tracks that swing into a variety of studio-enhanced styles. “Triskaidekaphobia” and “Don’t Feed the Animals” move in mysterious ways towards different forms of prog-metal, while “The Breaking Point” slims down to a bluesy quiet that explodes into a regal, choir-induced chorus just shy of hitting another galaxy. This is weird, freaked-out music that plays like a studio experiment gone mad. Jennings is obviously having a great time playing up to the apocalypse. Even “God Bless Alabama” keeps away from the standard issue boogie riffs. “All of This Could Have Been Yours” plays like a ballad under the influence of the Flaming Lips. One of 2010’s most ambitious and delightfully experimental albums.