Getting some work done today, I found myself listening to the latest album from Damien Jurado, Saint Bartlett.
Good stuff. I’ve been a fan of Jurado since the beginning, and never disappointed. Saint Bartlett has all the indie-folk influences you’d expect from this accomplished singer-songwriter, mixed this time with a little more of a garage-rock element. The end result is slightly harder than previous albums (though in that respect I’m speaking relatively), with a bit more of a layered, resonant sound.
Lyrically, the album draws from the deep well of personal narrative that made so many of the other albums so memorable. The lyrics of “Wellingford” have a melancholy air: “Calling out/ Your voice is an echo./ No words come back but your own,” reflective of the themes of love, loss and spirituality. As a whole the album features songwriting rooted in character, which in turn finds itself in the context of the contemporary world and the many spiritual journeys that accompany it.
Good album. Recommended.