Early James – Medium Raw
This showcase has a distinctive vocalist in Early James, who has a perfectly channeled folk/blues voice tweaked tight with the ability to shout with authority. Accompanied by some dynamic acoustic guitar.
It’s more wrapped in tradition than any commerciality. 12 incisive tunes are on Early James’ skillet served Medium Raw (Dropped Jan. 2025/Easy Eye Sound/Concord). Produced by Dan Auerbach & recorded in Nashville, TN. The CD insert admits it’s a field recording, so you have to listen with patience & tolerance. The engineers on a tube console could’ve watched their gauges a little closer since James’s shouts often go into the red. It’s either poor production, or they should’ve used a different vocal microphone.
That said, the music itself is quite good in a retro sense. I say that because that’s what it comes across as. It sounds like it was recorded in someone’s house – because it was. It’s for special tastes but lots of people like the raw talent approach with no tweaking of the knobs to polish everything into marble smooth music. Robert Johnson recorded many of his masterpieces in a Texas hotel.
What’s appealing even more than the vocals on “Tinfoil Hat” is Jeffrey Clemens’ snappy drums & James’ lead guitar tone. Somewhat in a Duane Eddy/Lonnie Mack groove. There’s plenty of fire in the instrumentality. But the vocals are recorded poorly. I don’t understand a word.
With the quieter & creepy “Go Down Swinging,” it possesses a Tom Waits hue for a few bars. The fifth track is even more so. “Rag Doll” has a Marc Ribot-type dicey guitar that slices through a crowd like a late-to-work employee. Early’s fine acoustic guitar shines on “Gravy Train,” while “Dig To China” has the best groove & icy lead guitar. At least Early James sings better than the late Roy Buchanan did.
Highlights – “Steely Knives,” “Nothing Surprises Me Anymore,” “Go Down Swinging,” “Rag Doll,” “Gravy Train,” “Unspeakable Thing,” & “Dig To China.”
Included is a 12-page stitched lyric insert. CD @ Amazon & https://www.earlyjames.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Show Review: Early James & The Latest Hit Groove at the Analog at the Hutton Hotel
