Stefan Prigmore – Everything Is At Least Both
With an open that sets a creepy scenario on the short intro “David and Goliath,” Stefan sets a dark atmospheric mood on this 11-cut CD. Tom Waits, Chuck E Weiss, The Nails (“88 Lines About 44 Women”), & definitely The Cat Mary (“Her High Lonesome Days”) all traveled down similar musical paths with dark narration & tales.
But Stefan segues effectively into some fine crystal-clear folk-storytelling tunes with acoustic guitar elegance. “Gunpowder & Pine,” lays out a territory for Stefan the way J.J. Cale laid out his, John Prine his, & Tom Waits for sure.
Vocally, Stefan Prigmore treads the songwriting depths of Jim Lampos & Guy Clark most of the time with their blend of melancholy. Sometimes the tunes are sad but with a pinch of wisdom or irony, never a hint of negativity. Stefan sings with a soulful grit tinged liberally with reflective tones, sympathy & nostalgia. With songs like “I Play C,” he rubs shoulders with Kris Kristofferson.
There’s nothing specifically different about Stefan Prigmore’s original songs (guitar/drums/vocals) but he does showcase his tunes with an emphasis on virtuosity. “Tracy,” leans into James Taylor territory & Prigmore’s adept at these types of tunes with his own shading.
“Devil Dogs” comes in with a style that goes back to the early 60s singer Johnny Bond (“Hot Rod Lincoln”). Narrate over a solid musical backdrop with a low-flame retro touch. This could very well be the roots of rap music.
Stefan’s voice can squeeze generous emotional drops from songs like “Razor Wire,” (composed by Heather Little) which has a lovely James McCann steel guitar (James also plays Resonator guitar).
The 37-minute Everything Is At Least Both (Drops Nov 11-Independent) is Stefan’s 2nd recorded in Louisiana & produced by Clay Parker (Hammond organ/bass/electric guitar) & Stefan. Pete Damore (octave mandolin/mandolin).
So, if you think Stefan can’t rock you’d be wrong since “Lacretia,” is a lively guitar-infused moderate rocker that is catchy, danceable & most importantly memorable. Lyrically, the best tune is “CV-One-Nine,” simply because it puts a focus on Stefan’s originality & creativity & his performance is inspired. Good songwriting.
The best vocal comes on “Door Girl,” where Prigmore is his most entertaining with borderline humor without being silly, & the instrumentation chugs along with a savvy performance.
Highlights – “David and Goliath,” “Gunpowder & Pine,” “I Play C,” “Tracy,” “Devil Dogs,” “Razor Wire,” “Lacretia,” “CV-One-Nine,” “Door Girl.”
Color images courtesy of Stefan’s website. CD @ https://stefanprigmore.net/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Stefan Prigmore “Real Man”