Egyptian Jim White's the kind of fallen prophet you'd find hunkered down in a southern bar, wreathed in smoke. He'd tip his cowboy hat at you and clutch a beer with the hand that was almost seared off by a band saw - the same hand he'd use later to pluck haunting chords from his guitar. And he'd tell you about the times he spent as a pro surfer or a devout Pentecostal or a fashion model or a New York City cabbie. All he learned from life is open to you, too. With a twangy wisp of a voice, White preaches on life truths, ironies and what the hell we're all doing here.
Some songs stack up multiple aural layers like alternating heaps of cake and icing.
For life's nothing if not a blind rambling prayer, you keep your head held high, a'walking and a'talking 'till the power of love deliver you there. You got no choice but to learn to glean solace from pain or you'll end up cynical or dead. Lovely quirky albums like this don't come along often - it's a gold nugget gleaned from everyday cement. I got 10 miles to go on a nine mile road. You've got a lot to learn.