Women and Country

Women + Country is Jakob Dylan s highly anticipated sophomore album following his critically acclaimed solo debut, Seeing Things. Women + Country is soulful yet striking, ripe with sublime beauty. Paired with Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe award winning producer T Bone Burnett (Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Crazy Heart) and joined with the stirringly rich vocals of Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, Women + Country creates a compelling and powerful experience for the listener. read more..

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Smile when you call me that.. by Muleskinner_Blues
Listened through Jakob Dylan's second solo effort several times since yesterday and I think it's well-done and a pleasant change from Seeing Things, as much as I liked that album. Produced by that silver mantis T-Bone Burnett, it does share a lot aesthetically with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's Raising Sand. Jakob has an unique writing style and there are few songs on this album that are lacking in substance, and none that I'd consider poorly written. He is joined for harmony vocals by Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, who do a good job without ever stealing the attention.



My only gripe would be that the sound that T-Bone has cultivated, used here and on Raising Sand, doesn't necessarily fit all of Dylan's songs. I like that weird dissonant Americana sound to an extent, but a little less would have helped some of the songs. It seems to be becoming T-Bone's "sound", like an echoey Americana Daniel Lanois.



As a whole though, I've liked the album quite a bit so here's an unnecessary song-by-song breakdown for kicks:



Nothing But The Whole Wide World - Heard this when it was pre-released prior to the album, it is a good first single that is indicative of both the feel of the rest of the album and of Jakob's catchy songwriting. Subdued instrumentation that doesn't get bored, the highlight of which to me is David Mansfield's fiddle. Mansfield played with Jakob's dad on the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975/6 as well as his World Tour in 1978. T-Bone Burnett was of course also a member of the RTR band of gypsies, and afterwards played with Mansfield and Steven Soles (another Thunder veteran) in The Alpha Band who released 3 albums. So T-Bone and David are well acquainted.



Down On Our Own Shield - This one has grown on me, mostly on the strength of its lyrics. "We scaled pillars to be here tonight / It's not the kind of trick that you get to pull twice." This one has a strong undercurrent provided by Greg Leisz's pedal steel, and good singing from Dylan, Case and Hogan.



Lend A Hand - Love the off-kilter Dixieland Jazz instrumentation on this one. The combination of the music and Jakob's vocals reminds me of Springsteen's Seeger Sessions to an extent, though less over-the-top. I consider the whole thing a highlight and my favorite song on the album at this point. Best part to me is Marc Ribot's lead guitar. Long time collaborator with Tom Waits, his lead on Lend A Hand is very reminiscent of his playing on Wait's Real Gone album from 2004, good stuff.



We Don't Live Here Anymore - This song is catchy in a rhythmic sense, and if a song can get stuck in your head, hasn't it done what it set out to do? However, this one leaves me dissatisfied to an extent, the lyrics feel stilted to me at times and I don't care for the title hook. Certainly not unlistenable, just not among my favorites from the album. I call the lyrics stilted, but there are some fantastic lines buried here. "Glad I've got you here with me / Down in hell's half acre's infirmary" is as good anything else on the album.



Everybody's Hurting - Catchy, propelled by its thumping acoustic bass played by Dennis Crouch. I like Jakob's vocals on this as he has risen out of the lower register on the first three songs. While it maintains T-Bone's rural sound that runs through the whole album, the vocals are more reminiscent of Seeing Things. Catchy tune, with more first-rate fiddle and pedal steel from Mansfield and Leisz.



Yonder Comes The Blues - Solid song, reminds me quite a bit of the production and sound of Raising Sand. Pleasant listen with some good lyrics and a simple chorus, but this hasn't been one I'd go out of my way to single out yet.



Holy Rollers For Love - In the running for best tune on the album, with Nothing But the Whole Wide World and Lend A Hand. The internal rhyme schemes and vocals remind me of Seeing Things again. This one is pushed on by Jay Bellerose's percussion, and features some moody electric guitar from T-Bone.



Truth For A Truth - This one doesn't do much for me, reminds me somewhat of something off Wilco's latest album, which also didn't do much for me. Still it's not without its upside. "Now it's junk on junk , this bed that we made / Where I sleep like a horse standing up on the clay."



They've Trapped Us Boys - Good fun song. A little jauntier then some of the previous songs, especially once that half-time beat starts walking around. As with the rest album, good pedal steel and this time, mandolin. Somewhat ominous is the song's chorus, given the recent mining events in West Virginia that unfolded as this album was released. "Darker than ever in the mine / Shine a light, shine a light. Holler back now make some noise / I do believe they've trapped us boys." Given that his old man released Love & Theft on 9/11/01, I shouldn't be surprised in the family's ability to harvest mystical overtones, even when they're not intended.



Smile When You Call Me That - Pleasant song, with some more well-executed pedal steel. Doesn't really quite hit the gear I was hoping it would, but some great sardonic lines (like the title). "I'm drunk and you're insane / I Can't quit and you won't change."



Standing Eight Count - Like the trumpet alot on this one, but the song doesn't end up too memorable for me. Just when I think it's going to pick up and finish off the album with a flourish, it ends. Still, the sentiment isn't lost.. a standing 8 count in boxing is respite for a boxer that is in trouble, so that the ref can see if he can go on. Not a bad sentiment for the end of an album, though I don't doubt we'll be seeing him again.



After that ramblin' on my mind...All in all, a solid sophomore album which I think could have used less production. Wouldn't have been as cohesive but several of the songs could have shown brighter on their own merits. Sing and just let them talk.