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Jefferson Pepper
American Evolution (Red)
American Fallout
Article
written by Will B
Mar 25, 2008.
The first of three planned releases in 2008 based thematically around the red, white and blue of his American homeland, Jefferson Pepper’s rootsy Americana sound and politically infused lyrics make for a dense listening experience. Having holed himself up for two years to write over 50 songs for the releases, there is a distinct lack of quality control as the album stutters and crawls its way through 17 tracks, many of which are overly long or should simply not have been included at all. Leadoff track ‘Can’t Go Home’ epitomises the frustrations of the album as the lush production and neat instrumentation are rendered impotent by the clumsy lyrics and poorly thought out song structure that drags itself repetitively through the motions in a bid to create enough time for Jefferson Pepper to get everything off his chest. A cursory flip through the album’s booklet reveals lyrics that read more like high-school essays than words to popular song. Pepper fares better when sticking to personal politics rather than acting as a social commentator, and tracks such as ‘Can’t Come Back’ and ‘Stranger in the Glass’ are all the better for it. The music itself is a varied trawl through the depths of Americana, taking in bluesy dirges, country-tinged melancholy, redneck rock & roll, delicate folk and touches of bluegrass. The musicianship is flawless and the production neat and punchy, so it’s just a shame that it takes a back seat to the political concept of the album as a whole. Perhaps somebody should have reminded Jefferson Pepper that sometimes less is more.
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