Try as I might, I cannot remember an album from Malcolm Holcombe that didn’t get my heart racing and the hairs on the back of my neck quivering and I have heard most of his output over twenty years.
He has a voice that is aged and querulous but also strong and loaded with emotion; in many ways the perfect representation of Americana once you take away the ‘twang’ of country and the mock bonhomie of bluegrass. That doesn’t mean that he isn’t representative of both camps, just that he has found the heart of the music and worked it tirelessly for over 20 years. Probably the best, and most underrated songwriter around as well.
This album celebrates the 10 albums he has released in that 20 year span with 16 tracks culled from all the albums but unlike the average best of he has chosen to re-record them live in the studio over a few days in September last year and they sound fresh and lively, more like 16 new songs. He has also added a live favourite ‘Mouth Harp Man’ for this release. The album comes as a CD/DVD combo
As usual he has the hackles up from the opening moments of ‘Who Carried You’ with that wheezy voice and the emotions running, wonderful fiddle from Tammy Rogers and Jared Tyler pitching in with a delightful dobro break – everything you could wish for from an album contained in the first song!
‘Mister In Morgantown’ adds Jelly Roll Johnson on harmonica and some fine scat – almost rap – from the man himself. As you delve into the album it just gets better and better. More intense, more of a sense of all working together, more ‘funk’ and some loose and sloppy genius.
‘To Drink The Rain’ is massive, a slab of heavy Blues with Americana roots and a personal favourite is ‘Mouth Harp Man’ which trips along nicely swelling and ebbing with the mouth harp from Jelly Roll Johnson.
As a best of, it’s great but as a restatement of the man’s music it brings 20 years into the modern day and it is just brilliant.
