After some genre-hopping, Damien Jurado has...OK, Lord forbid he should “settle” anywhere, but on On My Way To Absence he goes for a relatively straightforward folk rock approach. Tom Waits creekiness, Neil Young proto-grungery, Nick Drake fragility and other complementary spices season the mix, bringing further life to Jurado’s often bleak tableaux. Bleakest of the lot is “Fuel,” where mere guitar and voice convey volumes of mixed emotion and self-deprecation. Conversely, “Simple Hello” sounds like his well-taken shot at a breezy (for him) indie love song hit. Jurado’s songwriting remains rooted in the compulsion to tell stories where redemption isn’t always readily evident, but his voice-equal parts Eddie Vedder and Woodie Guthrie-gives rough, truthful comfort.
Ratings – Doug Van Pelt 3/5, Jamie Lee Rake 4/5
Similar sounding releases
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2003Where Shall You Take Me?
2000Postcards and Audio Letters
2000Ghost of David
2004Just in Time for Something
2003Holding His Breath
1996Trampoline
