Sometimes you just kick yourself for letting certain artists fly under your radar. Such was the case when I heard Jim White. I stumbled across his stuff thanks to the always-reliable Aquarium Drunkard.
The Wikipedia entry on White touches on what I’ve come to realize are all the standard talking points about him. Much more interesting than his past jobs, though, is his music: mysterious, twisted, character-driven country.
I have only listened to one of his albums, the wonderfully-named Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See. Judging from that album, it seems to me that White is much more up my alley when he creates soft, thick smooth ballads. Songs like “Combing My Hair In A Brand New Style” are hit-or-miss stylistically (and about three minutes too long), and I like his voice better when he’s singing like he’s whispering secrets in your ear.
The opening track on Drill A Hole is a lovely duet with Aimee Mann. I defy you to listen to “Static on the Radio” and not get the slightest pang of wanderlust: a sudden craving for a road trip somewhere dark and unfamiliar… a bit of adventure. And man oh man, can Aimee Mann sing.
Another standout on the album is “That Girl From Brownsville Texas.” The first line of the chorus on this song sealed the deal in my mind when deciding whether or not I was down with Jim White. “I been busy killin’ time countin’ bullet holes in state line signs”… yeah, I’m down with Jim White.
“Static on the Radio” by Jim White
“That Girl From Brownsville Texas” by Jim White
The BBC produced a documentary out of a tour of the South with White. Below is a clip from YouTube. I’m looking forward to watching the whole thing, which I’ve queued up on Netflix. Jim seems like an interesting dude.
Both tracks from Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See (Buy it on eMusic)
Picture from flickr user claytonium75
White is great, but you really need to hear his first album, Wrong-Eyed Jesus. Especially if you like that “whispering secrets” vibe.
I’m definitely interested in checking out Wrong Eyed Jesus, and the fact that you say it’s a bit more hushed overall definitely makes me more excited to. Thanks Robby.
Just had a chance to listen to these. Really like the second song– if there’s an instrument with more tear-jerking potential than slide guitar, I haven’t heard about it.
Also, I love the title of this post. My favorite music is about being miserable.