Top Ten Albums 2012
5. JD McPherson- Signs and Signifiers
Once in awhile we get a peek of early 50's Rock and Roll in music of today. You'll hear a certain groove you have heard before or somebody nails a lick that would have made Chuck Berry proud. But rarely do we see somebody make a recording that takes us to another time period.
JD Mcpherson has achieved this feat with Signs and Signifiers. He is one of those guys you hear about from a friend, or a friend of a friend, and pretty soon everybody has them on their Spotify playlist. Brian Stetzer made a great tribute to Sun records with his album "Rockabilly Riot." Chris Isaak did the same with "Beyond the Sun." Those are both great records, but here we have JD creating original songs in the same vein.
My favorite track, "North Side Gal," opens the album. You are transcended to the 1950's as he brilliantly picks and croons, weaving words and music like a tapestry. If you are familiar with his work, this is probably the track that you know.
"Fire Bug" is up next, and it reminds me of Gene Vincent's "Be Bop a lula," as the tempo slows allowing the song to simmer. "Wolf Teeth" demonstrates his ability to truly command a vocal, making every note count. "Scandalous" turns up the tempo and the heat, making it my second favorite track on the album. I'm not much of a dancer, but this is definitely "cut a rug" quality.
2012 has been one of the best years for new music in recent memory. If you are tired of what is playing on the radio, there is some great stuff out there if you just dig a little beneath the service. If JD keeps putting out albums like this, maybe I'll learn to dance after all.
Brian Richardson
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