| Rolling Stone [December 2002] - translated |
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Tinkling ballads, acerbic stompers: Brian Krumm can do nearly
everything.
This music doesn't wear make-up. It's bone dry, without any vain flourish
and has swallowed at least half a bucket of rusty nails. The equipment, so
the legend says, had to be borrowed from all around. What happened next
was the usual house occupation; tiny studio in the bedroom, musicians in
the cellar, women anywhere else. No one complained.
Then Brian Krumm and his colleagues made themselves comfortable, tuned their instruments and started to play. It was worth the effort 'cause this music doesn't suffer. It's true Never Go Home includes the Crusades- typical mixture of melancholic-cynical reflections and a little agitation about thankless conditions, but the four musicians (three of them are called Brian by the way) deal very reluctantly with common tears and fears. They prefer to hate the countryside and watch themselves die in a little town knowing quite well there's no way out. Just listen to "Our Little Town"; "You're amazing in bed, but I am bored out of my head/ With this life we are living in our little town." Sometimes "Cold Weather" is to blame: "She said: And even though I love you so/ I just can't take this cold weather anymore." The lyrics remain unpretentious and teeth-grinding but no need to worry; I'm a loser baby but quite content with it. And this music really moves you because it was mostly recorded on first take and includes 15 absolutely beautiful melodies. Pedal Steel, Piano, crashing guitars and above all Krumm's voice, still sounding deeply dipped in whiskey and snake-blood. The Waits-effect without any bawling. From tinkling ballads (especially the untitled bonus track) to acerbic stompers, each song is a masterpiece on it's own. That is why we can save ourselves tiresome references (Springsteen, 16 Horsepower and any other band). Except maybe one. "The Return Of Ol' Carlo" reminds us pleasantly of Calexico-like Tex Mex. And desert sand is blowing through the living-room. 4 stars (out of five) more press |
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