Eddie 9V Down Here
Atlanta’s Eddie 9V’s (vocals/guitar/12-string acoustic guitar) custom is to fill his bag of music with blues, soul, R&R, country & gospel. He succeeded. The “sound” channels the spirit of Muscle Shoals & the old Atlantic Records mortar. Gritty guitar, a thick groove & sweet vibe with Southern fried swagger, rowdiness & its distinctiveness.
Down Here (Dropped Nov 6/East Eye Sound/42:55) was made in Nashville at Easy Eye Sound Studios with Dan Auerbach (piano/guitar/kazoo/tambourine/cymbals/drum machine/bgv). A 12-cut collaborative effort as opposed to Eddie 9V’s prior DIY approach. Makes for a smooth transition for the Georgia cult hero & he doesn’t compromise the spirit of his repertoire.
Eddie 9V steps off the big beat bridge, chewing on aluminum foil rock ‘n’ roll notes. The production process apparently finds it necessary to treat Eddie’s voice with some luxuriance to give his blues some otherworldly presence. It works nicely on “Blowin’ Up” with superb backup vocals that add lots of color to the romp that, for some unknown reason, reminds me of early Graham Parker – not sure why.
The vocal treatment continues, but it works well with this kind of turbulence. The more soulful tunes don’t have this. The songs, like “Everybody Knows By Now,” still have a Graham Parker edge but also seethe with Velvet Underground percentages, especially in the lumbering, simple, upbeat style typical of Moe Tucker. The drummer knows when to pull out of lane & throw in dynamic fills. Good rock ’n’ roll.
Eddie 9V slows & lifts the vocal effects from “Satisfy The Way I Do,” wrapped in a generous helping of Muscle Shoals soul & groove. This could have been a good song for Otis Redding or Marvin Gaye. Good elements of soul. Lots of space for vocal definition. What makes his singing special is that Eddie 9V knows how to pronounce certain words that bring out the cement between the bricks. Not every singer knows this.
“It Don’t Bother Me” returns the vocal hocus pocus. Framed with acoustic & electric guitars with snappy, hollow snare beats, the still soulful Graham Parker hint in the arrangement remains. But not in the voice. Commercially appealing. “Maybe That’s a Good Thing” & “Down Here” are both excellent & “Come & Get Me Lord” is a nice, solid gospel closeout. Eddie 9V sings with conviction. Amen.
Highlights – “Blowin’ Up,” “Everybody Knows By Now,” “Satisfy The Way I Do,” “It Don’t Bother Me,” “Maybe That’s a Good Thing,” “Down Here,” “Keep Turning Me Away” & “Come & Get Me, Lord.”
Musicians – Marcus King & Dustin McCook (guitar/bgv), Pat Sansone (guitar/acoustic guitar/organ/harpsichord/Wurlitzer/Clavichord/tambourine/bells), Chad Mason (acetone), Joe Harrison (bass/guitar/organ/piano/mellotron/tambourine), Tom Bokovac (guitar/acoustic guitar/organ/Rhodes), Sam Bacco (congas/tambourine/clave/chimes), Lane Kelly (claps), Chris St. Hilaire (drums/tambourine/conga/cowbell/skulls/shaker/bgv), Frankie No Name (bgv), Nick Movshon (bass/timbales/tambourine), Sharisse Norman, Shontelle Norman-Betty & Candise Rayborn (bgv).
Included is a 12-page stitched lyric insert. CD photo by Alysse Gafkjen.CD @ Bandcamp & Apple + https://easyeyesound.com/products/eddie-9v-down-here-cd
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Eddie 9V “Capricorn”