Joshua Espinosa – Americaña
This showcase gets off to a wonderful ramble with “Saturday Night,” a rousing short barrelhouse piano saturated in a good time treatment. Even Joshua Espinosa’s voice is jaunty & upbeat with a Dr. John-oriented shimmer & intonation. Not to be a one-shot deal, he continues with the short-sing-along progression of “Smoothe.” This is when an overindulgent rhyme-filled lyric actually works in the singer’s favor. It has a steady groove, is danceable & sounds like fun. The tune has a creepy guitar solo ala Los Lobos, Tito & Tarantula in tradition. Intriguing & likable.
Joshua’s appeal comes from his eccentric quivering vocal style on some tunes like “Dark Forest Trees.” But he applies this vocalese well. It’s unique & stylish. For some, it may take a little getting used to, but it satisfies. It has a hipster appeal, I use that word lightly, as in ‘50s hipster, not what the definition is today. There are 11 pieces to Mr. Espinosa’s debut Americaña (Dropped Oct. 17/Independent/37:29), produced by songwriter Kevin Bowe (bass/guitars/percussion/harmonica/organ/banjo/bgv) & recorded in Minneapolis, MN.
The album is a set of songs that migrate toward different types of American music, from saloon blues to bluegrass, ‘70s rock through ‘90s alternative, & New Orleans. Thematically, the majority of the well-played songs dissect getting older, relationships, regret, degeneracy & crushing guilt. Heavy-duty chances in simple songwriting but effectively laid down in Joshua’s original compositions. “Me Or the Whiskey” is a wonderful storytelling ballad smoothly rendered with backup by Sarah Morris.
Quite nice. Joshua really asserts himself with this type of tune.
Back to the New Orleans cultivation is the acoustic guitar-laden & brass-bellowing “Mud.” Despite the wide range of styles in each song, Joshua navigates all with class. His voice seems to be comfortable in whatever genre he chooses. Nothing’s performed, going through the paces. He genuinely has a good Dixieland-type vocal when required. With a more middle-of-the-road shading is “Meet Me In Pittsburgh,” with its glossy arrangement & Joshua’s easy listening ‘40s Hoagy Carmichael rich vocal & soaring trumpet. All mixed perfectly between the margins. This is well illuminated & pleasant. I’m actually surprised a young artist today was able to concoct something so adoring.
However, the album tends to lose momentum past track 8. It’s understandable since it’s not easy to write compelling songs consistently. The remainder are good, the playing’s proficient, but the songs aren’t as creative as the earlier tunes. I’d recommend this LP anyway since the good songs are excellent.
Highlights – “Saturday Night,” “Smoothe,” “Dark Forest Trees,” “Me Or the Whiskey,” “Mud,” & “Meet Me In Pittsburg.”
Musicians – Joshua (vocals/guitars/violin/keys/mandolin/ukelele), Peter Anderson (drums), Scottie Miller (piano), Tommy Barbarella (Wurlitzer/Hammond B3), Ken Wilson (pedal steel guitar), Monique Blakey (bgv), Paul Odegaard (trumpet), Tommy Vee (upright bass), & David Budimir (tuba/trombone).
Color image courtesy of Sam Wagner. CD @ https://joshuaespinosa.com/
