Jubal Lee Young – Wild Birds Warble
To some Jubal Lee Young may be a new artist from a musical family (Steve Young & Terrye Newkirk) but he has already issued 5 exemplary LPs beginning in 2006. Heritage aside it’s obvious Mr. Young has absorbed some outlaw country, vintage C&W & a tad of jubilant folk music. On the opening tune (Steve Young’s “White Trash Song”) he sounds folky until the instruments kick into high gear & his country engine emits some dynamic fumes.
14 tracks take flight on the Markus Stadler-produced Wild Birds Warble (Drops June 28/7 Bridges Entertainment/55:42) with a generous outpouring of viable covers beginning with plenty of Steve Young songs (& why not?) that litter the landscape. But with originals, there are songs by the late Warren Zevon, David Olney, Townes van Zandt, Utah Phillips & Mickey Newbury. That’s quite an array of styles to encompass & Jubal does it with proficiency.
What Jubal understands about these songs is how to put them across with enthusiasm & as depicted in “Long Way To Hollywood” he has every cylinder in his arsenal pumping. It’s country but the Rocky Burnette (“Tired of Toein’ the Line”) rock additives in such a song with a fiery banjo with harmonica bursts is simply foot-stomping ideal music.
This is no wannabe singer-songwriter with an album filled with “look at me” songs but a collection that clearly expresses a dynamic. Every piece is carefully arranged & played with interplay skill that smokes. Mr. Young is adroit at applying necessary mellowness or rawness to draw out the nourished notes.
While his voice isn’t singularly distinctive as a Zevon, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, or Johnny Cash he has sufficient style to convey the path he’s chosen for his repertoire.
A few songs meander but stacked against one another sound like a whole. It’s paced well for an easy listen & the instrumentation & vocalizing sparkle as it all wanders through each song with obvious appeal. It’s entertaining music.
Highlights – “White Trash Song,” “Seven Bridges Road,” “Long Way To Hollywood,” “Angel With a Broken Heart,” “Useful Girl,” “Carmelita” & “Deeper Well.”
Musicians – Jubal (vocals/guitars/harmonica), Markus Stadler (producer/dobro/banjo/mandolin/baritone guitar/vocals), Brian Zonn (bass), Charlie Pate (mandolin), Christian Sedelmeyer (fiddle) & Jeff Taylor (accordion).
B&W image courtesy of Jubal’s website. CD @ https://juballeeyoung.com/
Interview: https://americanahighways.org/2024/05/14/interview-jubal-lee-young-celebrates-outsider-songwriters-with-wild-birds-warble/