Jason Wilber
Lost In Your Hometown
After previous gigs playing guitar for John Prine and Hal Ketchum, among others, Wilber has released his first solo LP,mixing country, pop, rock, and a wee bit of folk. It’s full of tight songs that have an abundance of smart and telling images and metaphors. "I Fell In Love" has a gentle Rockpile-like edge to it while "As Far As 25th Street" is a country bluegrass number with a mellotron - when was the last time you heard one of those? Several songs, including the title track, with its finger picked guitar and mournful melody, recall Paul Simon’s first solo LP. The organ in "Walking In Church" adds a hymn-like feel and at the same time a soulful Memphis air. It’s a reassuring shuffle that has many of the same pleasures as Chris Isaak’s best work. "If I Owned A Liquor Store" is a smartass bluegrass talking blues that has at least one lyrical twist that’ll leave you leaning the wrong way. Wilber mixes his tempos and sounds well, providing enough of a contrast between cuts to keep everything interesting, yet it holds together as single piece.
John F. Butland (This review originally appeared on Amplifier On-Line in September 1998.
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