Slow Trauma by Bill Mallonee (A Review)

"Death usually comes dressed up in her finery and lace" -Bill Mallonee

                                                                                      --Written July 9, 2016

I awoke early this morning to a brilliant Arizona sunrise. As we lumbered on aboard the Sunset Limited, we trekked across New Mexico, across the Rio Grande, and into Texas.  As I am writing this, we’re somewhere in the middle of the big state, rocking and humming along the familiar path of ties and steel. There’s no better time to take a few minutes to review Slow Trauma, the latest by Bill Mallonee.

Bill’s last series of records has been solid; he’s found a home in New Mexico, and his songs have reflected the new season. Dolorosa, Winnowing, and Lands and Peoples all wrapped themselves in the desert whispers. Slow Trauma continues with the same musical feel for the most part, but it wades off into deeper lyrical waters.

Slow Trauma has to be near the top of Bill’s solo recordings. Let me briefly explain why I think so.

The albums starts with a whimper. He limps in with “One and the Same.” At a mere minute and seven seconds, this track left me scratching my head. What’s going on here? Bill’s last several projects have produced more six and seven minute songs than I can count. This was short and vulnerable. Before I could draw any conclusions, “Only Time Will Tell” kicks off, and I’m instantly tapping my foot along with it. This track, especially, could have been a part of the Audible Sigh sessions, possibly the Room Despair EP. It’s a great train song… it’s been in my head all along this route from Los Angeles. Next, “Waiting for the Stone (to be rolled away)” is full of beautiful imagery, figurative language, and a pervading confidence in the presence of doubt. "Hour Glass" captures the old, American western to a T. Mallonee sings, "Maybe one day every flag is gonna have to fly at half mast / Only so many grains of sand... in the hour glass." 

Ok. I’ll stop myself. I could go on this way about every single track, so I won’t. But here’s the thing: it’s not that it’s a collection of ten well-crafted songs; it’s more than that. There is no lull. There are no detours. Mallonee guides us through a trail of doubts and questions dressed in the jangle of a lap-steel guitar along with a simple, but well-orchestrated platform of alt-country Americana. He sprinkles his trademark phrases throughout. For instance, “Who knows if our heavy hearts could ever bear the load?” and “Lady Luck? She grabbed her keys and headed out the back,” much like Room Despair's "Goin' South." He also presents an honest confession of his doubts and struggles, which is the best any of us can do as we navigate this thing called life. Bill pleads,” Lord, gather me unto Thyself when my wayward heart grows still…I just wanna see over that last hill.”

Is Slow Trauma about death? Yes, it is. Is it depressing? Quite the contrary. Mallonee’s transparency creates a space for the listener to ask bigger questions…to seek answers to those unknown questions we face. And at the end of the ride, we may still have unanswered questions, but the process of self-examination proves valuable to the soul. Lord knows we all need more substantial art like this these days. Don’t miss out on this gem. 

Be sure to give the tracks a listen on Bandcamp. If you like what you hear, you'll also want to check out Bill's new Kickstarter for the next record.

A Review of Bill Mallonee's WINNOWING

Bill Mallonee & The Darkling Planes: Winnowing

The life of a troubadour is often romanticized. Whether it’s a fascination with the mysterious Woody Guthrie or the freedom supposed in Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” most of us have fantasized about being the man with a song and a guitar, rambling through the world and leaving a trail of songs, like gold nuggets along the Rio Grande.  It sounds great for romance, but what about reality?

Bill Mallonee may be the closest thing we have to this romantic idea in the flesh. Writing and recording since the late 1980s, Bill has released close to sixty projects—most full-length, some EPs. Bill knows the blistering road, the intimate house concert, and the small change to show for it at the end of the night, yet he continues to put pen to paper and fingers to fret board as he shares his gift of song.

With no superstructure of support or financial safety net, he depends on his fan base to continue funding the projects. Earlier this year, Bill decided to try Kickstarter, the now famous crowd sourcing platform. Within days of posting his project, Kickstarter suffered a security breach, and Bill opted to pull the plug rather than jeopardize any of his fans’ financial safekeeping.  Call it a false start, or just another unlucky bump in the road; Bill dropped back to taking pre-orders through his site and Bandcamp.

Winnowing, Bill’s latest record, is now in post-production and scheduled to release in early September, 2014. I recently spoke with him about the new songs, and even scored a chance to give the tracks a listen.  Here’s what I found.  (You can hear my interview with Bill HERE.)

Bill told me that there’s something about the desert canyons and the big sky that beckon

contemplation and reflection.  The vastness of the night sky brings a perspective of smallness and the need to trace one’s steps.  This new batch of songs bears witness to this sentiment.

The opening three tracks (“Dover Beach”, “Those Locust Years” and “Old Beat Up Ford”) blend together in mellow, contemplative swirl, as if mesmerizing the listener like a desert sky. They pull us in with lines like “Now I am not a scoffer / withholding his thanks / my purse it is empty / my heart overflows its banks” in the opener.  The reflection continues in track 3: “sunlight sifting through the shadows / it seemed brighter way back then / and I walked the world in wonder / all dressed up in my new skin.”    

“Got Some Explaining to Do” breaks the opening spell with its noisy guitars a la Neil Young and reminiscent of The Power & the Glory (2011). Full of clever lines and social commentary, Bill admits an evil in the world, but refuses to answer for it; instead he writes, “no matter what the disguise is/ well, you gotta give the devil his due / but whoever he is / he’s got some explaining to do.”  

The next two tracks “Dew Drop Inn” and “Blame it on the Desert Whispering” could have easily found themselves on Bill’s album Dolorosa (2013). The stripped-down musical arrangement and the narrative focus of geography capture the sense of place that is unmistakably New Mexico. For instance, Bill sings on the former “The road winds hard and the road winds cruel / hearts being what they are / Let’s just say it will be ok / and I love you, just because.”  

“In the New Dark Ages” has the signature of one of Bill’s most ambitious albums, Locket Full of Moonlight (2002). With Beatles-esque organ and guitars, Mallonee explores the current state of expectations concerning relationships where “no one trusts anyone… [and] they forget to have fun.”  

The album was originally going to share its title with track 8 “Hall of Mirrors / Room Full of Woe,” and that doesn’t surprise me. This track is the musical epicenter of the album, with its layered guitars grabbing the spotlight.  And again, Mallonee delivers a tight metaphor with the following: “Now Death is a boxer / always stalking the ring / grabs all the prize money / and a few other things / with a 1-2 punch that’s been stealing the show.” The track’s haunting tone continues, but the lyric turns a hopeful corner with “what is lost is nothing compared to what gets found.”

“Now You Know” is like a letter to an old friend, with as many questions as statements. With its delicate instrumentation, the song sounds as if it could be performed on horseback, meandering through the canyon. And once again, Mallonee weaves an historical perspective into his craft with the following:  “Well Caesar sat upon a steed / and waited till the dawn / without a word the die is cast / across a Rubicon / history's muddy, bloody boots / are ever marching on / now you know.” This appears as a settled peace that no longer fights to answer questions about the ever-elusive fame and notoriety hiding around the next bend. Instead, the craftsman continues to apply his tools of melody and metaphor, with wit and passion.

“Tap Your Heart on the Shoulder,” like “Now You Know,” projects the feel of the troubadour, with the cadence of a slow ride near sunset. The lyrics, too, paint the picture of a horse-mounted observer, depicting this present age.  Mallonee writes, “Ain’t nothing left in Oklahoma / On your right or your left hand / We took God’s good, green earth / and we turned it into sand.”  

Overall, Winnowing comes in at 10 cohesive tracks (just over 43 minutes). It’s a journey full of questions, reflecting on the might-have-beens and the almost-but-not-quites of one of the most prolific songwriting careers that has been all but overlooked. From the haunting, opening track, Dover Beach, to the closing track, Mallonee delivers a fresh collection of tunes while he scrutinizes the cards he’s been dealt, sorting through both mistakes and misfortunes. Closing out the album, he sings “Only so many smiles you can fake…Hey reach over / tap your heart on the shoulder / and see if she’s still awake.” While we’re left with unanswered inquiries—some that may never be rejoined, we’re also left with these ten jewels of honest, though-provoking melodies that cause us to examine our own steps and motives, and in their stripped-down honesty, awaken our hearts from slumber.

Great Music for the Season

CHRISTMAS (the album by husband and wife Phillips/Gullahorn) is a wonderfully pleasant surprise! Don't get me wrong, both Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn are gifted musicians, singers, and songwriters, but it's just another Christmas album, right? At first, I expected this would be... You know...the obligatory 8 to 10 songs, with standards everyone knows...no new twists, just jolly-jingle fun.

Not the case here. There are some classics, and there aren't many new twists on these, but the arrangements allow the lyrics to be heard in a new way. Plus, the original songs on the album are moving and powerful.

And...even if all of the other songs were horrible (which of course, they are not), the album would still be worth the price for the enhanced version of "It's Cold Outside." You've never heard this song so realistically done...especially between a husband and wife. Let's just say that gifting your wife with a less than desirable gift may be enough reason for a guy to be begging to come in even if it weren't cold outside. You've got to hear this version!

Download these 12 tracks and enjoy!

You can find the download available at The Rabbit Room or Amazon.

Amber Waves by Bill Mallonee (Review)

Amber Waves is a solid alt-country effort by Bill Mallonee along with his former bandmates Jacob Bradley and Kevin Heuer.  The album, produced on a shoe-string budget, is a haunting yet hopeful collection of tight melodies and honest narratives.  Musically, Amber Waves acts as a photo album of past efforts by Vigilantes of Love.  "Break in the Clouds" and "To the Nines" recall the Struggleville sound, others like "What You Take and What You Leave Behind" sound like they were part of the Blister Soul sessions, and "Pillow of Stars," "Walking Disaster," and "Once Your Heart Gets Broken" reflect both Audible Sigh and Summershine.

Bill's lyrical work is still going strong.  For example, he opens the second track "To the Nines," with the line: "Well the rain and the wind/ they're at it again/Quarrelling lovers/Better run for cover/Yeah the rivers will rise/No one's surprised/You're gonna get baptized/One way or another."

The album is very up-tempo.  Of the 13 tracks (one is repeated for a total of 14), only "Yeah Yeah Yeah (I've got faith like butterfly wings)," "Long Since Gone" and "Into God Knows What" are slower, introspective and primarily acoustic.

Personally, I find the highlight of the album to be the Byrdseque "Walking Disaster"-- both musically and lyrically.  The jangly Rickenbacker, the driving bass, and the snare rolls move this three minute pop song from the chute to the finish line coming up for air.  In fact, there's hardly time to consider the brilliant lyrical pictures that Bill paints.  For instance, he draws a seedy picture of our depraved humanity with the following: "You stand and you make your confession/ in the suit of old clothes that you stole/ Offering your vain protestations/doused heavily in cheap cologne." He follows that in the chorus with the hopeful truth: "And the river of love, she still rolls on / Long time after the well has run dry."  Which seems to be more than a fitting reflection on Bill's career.  The ever elusive fame and glory (as well as a decent living) keep coming up dry, but he continues to roll on with his musings and melodies on struggles, faith and redemption.

If you are a VoL fan, this is a must have.  If you're new to Bill's work, click on http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/album/amber-waves and give it a listen.

Setting the Stage for a Review of Amber Waves by Bill Mallonee

It was April, 1995.  I had read something in a magazine about a little band from Athens, GA called Vigilantes of Love, and I was curious.  I stopped in at The Compact Disc Store on Jefferson in Baton Rouge, which was the best chance of spotting a hard to find disc if Paradise Records didn't have it. Not only did the Compact Disc store have it, but they had a wonderful policy of allowing the customer to open and listen to a cd without any obligation to buy.  So, I slipped the headphones on and after the initial silence, heard the opening riff of "Blister Soul." Within three weeks, the disc was beyond heavy rotation-- it dominated my listening, and my friends were already tired of hearing me speak of VoL.

Bill Mallonee & co. kept the albums coming, and I kept trying to find them.  The band got tighter, the songs more accessible, and I was certain this little band from Athens was going to break into mainstream notoriety.

Then the three strikes hit the mitt.

First, in 1999, Audible Sigh, an alt-country masterpiece with production by Buddy Miller and BGVs by Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris was set for release through Pioneer Music Group. A fair amount of publicity was in place, and it looked like this would be the album to break VoL into a wider audience.

It didn't happen.  Pioneer Music Group folded holding the rights to Audible Sigh.
Strike one!

The next two years found the band touring heavily and trying to find a label that would launch the record.  Ironically, the album would find three different launch pads... all met with little more than an audible sigh.  Neither True Tunes nor Compass Records could muster enough interest to ensure much of a listening audience.  Frustration increased for Bill and his road-weary band of players.

The next two strikes to hit the leather are somewhat cloudy in my mind as far as which occurred first. Regardless, they both were devastating to the march up the hill of commercial success.
The band was touring in England ('Cross the Big Pond) and after a show, they were robbed.  Not only did they lose their equipment, but one of the guys was threatened with a syringe. Four guys living on a shoe-string, losing the tools of their trade, and asking "what if..." about the incident with the needle... Strike two!

Then there were three.  2001 saw VoL scale down to a three-man outfit--tighter than a new snare drum-- and take on a new sound.  Summershine (somehow in the face of all the adversity) was the happiest sounding release yet.  It was Beatles meet the Byrds, with jangly Rickenbacker, driving power-pop bass, and snare rolls.  "Surely," I thought, "this will be the one."  Compass Records had set a release date for this happy-go-lucky batch of British-invasion-sounding love songs: September,  2001.

9/11/01... Strike three!

Within a few months, VoL dissolved, and Bill embarked on a solo career.  While Bill continued releasing quality music at a break-neck pace (just take a look at his discography: http://volsounds.com/index.php/discography), it seemed to be a frustrated effort.  It was as if Audible Sigh and Summershine were the summit, and somewhere just beyond, the wheels began to fail the wagon.  Bill courageously marched forward, determined to write, record and tour as much as possible.  Somewhere around 2004-2005, Bill's marriage failed, he re-married and continued to record and tour (coffee shops, churches, house shows, etc.). Nearly ten years later, and Bill is still at it.  He releases 3-4 EPs per year, sometime with an additional studio album.  He has received numerous nods as a songwriter, but his commercial success has failed to produce a blip on the radar.

"Land of the Living" by Matthew Perryman Jones

Matthew Perryman Jones is scheduled to release a new album tomorrow.  I was fortunate enough to get a pre-release download about five weeks ago, and it has been in heavy rotation on my player.  You, too can get a download of you make a donation to Blood:Water Mission.

You can also check MPJ website for the official release on or after May 29, 2012.

Here are my thoughts on the pre-release:

This was my introduction to MPJ's work, and I am impressed.  His vocals are strong and controlled.  His lyrics are thoughtful and clever.  His music is layered and melodic with a gritty rawness.

Basically, if you like U2, the Call or Michael Been, you'll want to give this a listen.

The entire effort is strong and well presented.  A few tracks worth mentioning are  the infectious "I Won't Let You Down Again", the haunting "O Theo" [thumbs up to any musical artist who can pull off a song about Vincent Van Gogh-- this is a fine song from the artist's perspective], "Waking Up the Dead" is a rocker, and the title track "Land of the Living" is a passionate, driving capstone of hope.

Here is the link to get the album. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think.

Maybe the Best Free Download You Will Find

In the midst of a hectic week, I visited the Rabbit Room and glanced at Pete Peterson's review of Josh Garrel's lastest album. The word FREE caught my eye, so I commenced with a download. I don't remember ever hearing of Josh before, but with two days of 5 hours in a car ahead of me, I figured it was worth a shot. Wow! What a shot!

Love & War & The Sea In Between is lots of things, but easy to describe is not one of them. So let me fire off a few descriptors: 18 tracks, eclectic, atmospheric, joyful, intense, lyrically-solid, haunting at times, fresh.

If you have enjoyed the music of Norah Jones, Coldplay, Doug Burr, Bob Dylan, The Church, Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash... ok, do you see where I'm going? You'd never list those artists together, right?

Do yourself a favor and get it while you can (for free). Listen to it three times, and you'll be back at Josh's website leaving a tip!

After a few listens, let me know what you think.