The Pinkerton Raid – If You Love Somebody, Tell Them
This interesting showcase starts with the youthful tone of Willie Nelson, but The Pinkerton Raid’s lead singer Jesse James De Conto (guitars/ukulele/bass) doesn’t persist with the Nelson distillation (good). He strikes a more original spark with his forward repertoire. Jesse has strong expressive pipes framed by some Euro-folky musical qualities that make for a countrified feeling provoked by persuasive arrangements & performances.
This has magnetism. “They Were the Children” starts their 7th album & they aren’t greenhorns with this genre. Jesse’s voice isn’t entirely country or folky, but an earthy organic singer-songwriter with potent lyricism & warm melodic currents. His storytelling songs are good. This “protest” LP walks a tightrope but has more love & tolerance than most.
David Wimbish (guitars/keys/charango/strings/accordion/vocals) produced If You Love Somebody, Tell Them (Dropped October 2/Independent/48:37) & there are 14 generous tracks to discern. I won’t be suggesting whether the songs are accurate, but Jesse’s musical assessment has an eye on the ball of the “lunacy” tossed between the net of this political tennis game the songs attempt to navigate.
“Wishing Wells” & “We Tremble With the Noise” — wonderful tunes. They examine the issues through a far clearer looking glass than most. Some will find blemishes, but I think Mr. De Conto is worth a listen. Jesse crafts his pieces around his fears but not in a fearful manner. He’s witnessed the terrorism, genocide, climate disasters, economic collapses, crumbling democracy & an American culture war on the verge of civil war piped into fragile human psyches through the internet. We all have. But this is all amplified by social media. I lived long enough to witness many “disastrous things” that reared its ugly heads in the past. Not amplified like today & we’re still here.
Jesse’s concerns are outlined in his songs. He tries to make sense of it. No folky panic. There’s a reedy-like Neil Young vocalism on “The Fight For Freedom Was In Vogue.” It’s clever & Young augmented, but you’d never find Neil singing it. Jesse does a fine job. Good lyricism is balanced & convincing with a pleasant rustic musical brush stroke brightly conveyed with vocal enthusiasm.
What Jesse does is awaken people to being more aware. I may not agree with everything, but his effort is commendable. “If You Love Somebody, Tell Them,” – superb. The first set of songs looks at the hardship of raising kids. Midway, it celebrates beauty in the face of oppression. People don’t have patience, just aggression. Jesse’s music is not aggressive, in some respects the concept is optimistic, uplifting, & provides a ray of hope.
Highlights – “They Were the Children,” “Wishing Wells,” “We Tremble With the Noise,” “The Fight For Freedom Was In Vogue,” “This Machine Kills Loneliness,” “If You Love Somebody, Tell Them,” “The Village” & “Your Name Is Light.”
Musicians – James Phillips (percussion/keys/vocals) & Cameron Collier (trumpet).
Color image courtesy of Jesse’s Facebook. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.pinkertonraid.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: The Pinkerton Raid “They Were The Children”