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With last year's "New West Motel," The Walkabouts assumed full control of their music. The album coalesced their talents into an intense, claustrophobic package. "Satisfied Mind," which followed, was a sidestep, a collection of acoustic covers, a breathing space.
"Setting the Woods on Fire" is the plunge over the cliff. It builds on everything they've learned together and pushes it much, much further. This is, by far, the most powerful music they've created yet. The one-two punch of the opening tracks ("Good Luck Morning" and "Firetrap") is as strong as anything to come out of rock in recent years. And they've let some air into their vision, which has only helped to refine it. You don't come to the Walkabouts for flashy solos; everything with this band serves their songs. So when the guitar burns, or a lap steel whines, it means something -- it stokes the fire, builds the tension. Even more than before, Chris Eckman's lyrics capture the people of the West, the emotionally and materially desperate, adrift in their own land.
The Walkabouts are such an American band that it's hard to believe that once again, this is a European-only release. C'mon, record companies, you've signed enough crap. Isn't it time you went after some quality?
The last three albums by these essential Seattle folk-rockers -- now hugely popular in Europe -- have gone criminally unreleased in the U.S. until now. And 'Setting the Woods on Fire,' the most recent tales of suffering and degradation by a band almost permanently on the road, also happens to be the best thing they've ever done. The self-contained core of the band -- the screaming, Neil Young-ish guitar and muffled vocal croak of Chris Eckman, cosmically balanced by the pristine warble of Carla Torgerson, clear as a high mountain waterfall -- has never sounded better. Eckman's lyrics -- almost certainly the product of an ink-smudged tour diary -- reveal the plight of a man at times very close to the abyss, as he struggles with the task of eking out a living for his ragged (and totally brilliant) little band.
It says something about the inroads (or lack thereof) the Walkabouts have made in their own country that this 12-song set appears in American more than a year after it came out in Europe. It's a surprising state of affairs, considering that this quintet is a mature, full-service rock band with all the appeal of, say, the Screaming Trees. Musically, the quartet stands apart from the pack, thanks to the wide-ranging keyboards of Glenn Slater and the plaintive/gruff vocal poles held by Carla Torgerson and lyricist Chris Eckman.
While 'Setting the Woods on Fire's disposition is pensive and vaguely ominous throughout, there's a full range of material to be found here. 'Sand and Gravel' is a somber and resolute tune with a stately vocal by Torgerson, and Eckman steps to the fore on 'Old Crow,' an 'Exile on Main Street'-like rocker with Slater making like Nicky Hopkins on the keys while Eckman whips slide guitar runs across the muck. 'Hole in the Mountain' brings the two voices together over a chugging Stones beat and brass from guests the Tiny Hat Orchestra Horns.
There's something about the Walkabouts that makes one think of Thin White Rope. Maybe it's a shared taste for no-nonsense music, or that the Walkabouts' songs, like those of their defunct (and sadly neglected) California counterparts, seem to be set someplace off the interstate and far from any tourist attractions. Still, you can't help but hope that the Walkabouts will eventually prove easier to locate.
Fourteen months after the acclaimed "New West Motel" the Northwest's most eclectic combo The Walkabouts come to complete fruition with an album named after a Hank Williams tune that is chock-full of their trademarked harmonies, rolling guitars and train-swept scenery. Their interim covers album "Satisfied Mind" featured guest musicians and fans Peter Buck (REM), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees), Ivan Kral (Patti Smith Group) and included songs by Nick Cave, Neil Young, The Carter Family and Charlie Rich. The album was justifiably one of NME's recommended albums of the month. Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson formed The Walkabouts on the understanding that twisting a take on punk didn't rule out a love for Appalachian mountain music, and all their albums since "See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens" have enriched that pact.
"Setting the Woods On Fire" meanders on its course like a rolling river with songs covered in road dust and guided by smoke signals, proving that moonshine can still pack a jolt in a modern idiom. Acoustic and electric beauties include "Good Luck Morning," "Feeling No Pain," and the bizarre "Hole in the Mountain" which features the haunting, honking Tiny Hat Orchestra. Other adornments such as pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle stitch together a compelling country set that conjures up the carnival and the cabin and never compromises its impeccable sources. One of the Sub Pop season's most delightful surprises.
While new in the U.S., "Setting The Woods On Fire" was released in Europe more than a year ago. In fact, this is the Walkabouts' first domestic record of new material since 1992, even though they've released three albums overseas. Originally the acoustic conscience of Sub Pop, the Walkabouts have expanded their sound greatly. This time there are a couple of passionate rockers painted with a broad brush. "Hole In The Mountain," for example, features lead singers Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman doing their best John Doe and Exene, while the Tiny Hat Orchestra Horns squawk in accompaniment. The album title is taken from a Hank Willams Sr. song, so you might expect a backwoods feel to the Walkabouts' music, which proves true on "Up in the Graveyard" and "Promised," with their fiddle, mandolin and pedal steel. Other tunes, such as "Good Luck Morning" and "Firetrap," have an anthemic, no-holds barred fervor that gives "Setting The Woods On Fire" its distinctive appeal.
Oh dear, double albums. I have the attention span of a retarded sparrow but perseverance throws up great rewards, not least this cool American road movie of an album. While the motion of the car stays the some, the scenery keeps urging you to back up and drive that stretch of road again.
The Walkabouts' role as Sub Pop's acoustic conscience allows them to take all the characteristics of the Slacker myth and, with the aid of wavery guitars and plaintive accordions, shift it away from teen angst into a more universal plane of reference. "Setting the Woods On Fire" is about looking for the American dream that speaks of promised lands and brighter futures, and finding heartache and despair along the way.
There's words, too. Words that churn up those thoughts that you always keep hidden because they scare you shitless. Carla' s voice strains into a throaty sob as she pleads, "Take my savings and my ring / And buy yourself something to wear." They can do esoteric as well, with "Will you steal the flat cars of our shame?", sung by Chris Eckman like honey poured over gravel. And ""But we don't regret / It means we never push that hard" encapsulates the blurred landscape of this album perfectly.
It's a collection of sad tunes, but they're hopeful; wading out of the struggle to arrive at the God-fearing, rollicking romp of "Hole in the Mountain," complete with horns that give it that authentic revivalist meeting feel.
The Walkabouts are the thinking white trash's Lee and Nancy. And "Setting the Woods on Fire" is "Elusive Dreams" seen through the windows of a car with too many miles on the clock and still a long way to go before nightfall. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Split-personality bands -- Husker Du, Dead Can Dance and Fleetwood Mac come immediately to mind -- often wind up searching for a cohesion that makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Just as Husker fans were divided into Grant Hart and Bob Mould camps, so, too, might the Walkabouts legion split between Chris Eckman's straight-ahead rock and the moodier side drawn up by Carla Torgerson. Eckman may be the driving force, but Torgerson's the one making this band special.
The Walkabouts take a group songwriting credit on "Setting the Woods on Fire," creating a cogent picture of remorseless runners on the lam and the people they meet and the places they stop at along the way. "Maybe you should disappear," sings Torgerson as the album opens on a harsh and driving beat, her voice equal parts weary and worry. The line plants a symbolic tree for the next 11 songs to grow on. Glenn Slater's gloomy organ work introduces almost every song -- a way overused device -- and in virtually every instance the melody picks up within 30 seconds. It places a demand on the singer to build a rage or verve compatible with the number, and in Eckman's case he too often lags behind. "Old Crow," for example, is a barn-burner of a tune that begs for a John Doe-Exene twin-lead vocal, and instead Eckman's singing seems shallow, which only further magnifies the multiple facets of Torgerson's performances. In "Pass Me On Over," she hits her most earnest moments against a rickety country pace -- a great break from the rest of the tradition-bound three-chord rockers, an a blueprint for more of what they need.
Mainstays of the mainstream Seattle rock scene, the Walkabouts have spent nine years bouncing around labels (Sub Pop, PopLlama and others), and "Setting the Woods on Fire" is the first of three discs initially released in Europe and now being made available domestically through a deal with San Diego's Cargo and L.A.'s Creative Man labels. Perhaps there's a solid trilogy in store here.
The Walkabouts possess an earned confidence in their performances and material -- it's a band to believe in and trust. They paint vivid pictures and back it up with photos that fill the CD booklet, among them a rural lane with a smattering of snow, a farmhouse behind barbed wire, a Mexican bar and a battered train car. They make the most of their vagabond status in an indie-rock scene that plays Seattle as a stereotype. Distinction for them seems only a few tempos away.
After years of being way out of sync with the rest of their Sub Pop labelmates, The Walkabouts have suddenly found themselves at the center of the unplugged Grunge pack. Last year saw the release of a highly acclaimed covers album and a less successful solo effort from singers Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson, and now they're back with 12 original tracks for their fifth proper album.
Titles like "Bordertown," "Hole in the Mountain" and "Up in the Graveyard" give a fair indication of exactly where The Walkabouts are coming from and the use of fiddle, mandolin and lap and pedal steel guitar give further resonance to their rootsy sound. There are echoes of The Triffids in their songs of displacement, religious torment and roads that lead from one Nowheresville to another and, although Eckman's voice is never as effective as David McComb, Torgerson has a lonely folky croon that's at its best on the somber "Night Drive" and urgent "Pass Me Over."
The serious mixture of roots, Country, epic gospel and fine songs suggests that The Walkabouts will remain a useful inspiration to their labelmates for some time to come. Rating: 7
Now this is music (my personal opinion). Yes they have good song design, rhythm, etc. Good vocals & catchy lyrics win me over every time. (That's right you got me, I'm a pyro.) Then they cheated, they inserted a piano, I'm hooked. Here comes the tricky part. Two vocalists which compliment each other perfectly. Chris Eckman the lower, deeper voice, Carla Torgerson the higher, lighter voice. "Promised," for example, is a duet with an almost country feel to it. Lyrics such as "This recklessness might kill you, but I know you would miss it if it died," from "Pass Me on Over" show that they put some thought behind them as opposed to randomly written words. "Bordertown" is a slow, almost sad-sounding song which describes that lonely desolate town we are all familiar with where you try to stand tall amidst the accidents that befall you. I know that there are still some people out there who, like myself, like songs that reach inside. Be it due to the lyrics or sincerity of the singer's voice. If you fit among this group, then you must check this CD out.
No stupid clothes, no gimmicks, no stupid studio tricks...just sincere, great music on the latest CD from the Walkabouts. The group's male/female lead vocals work well with the arrangements, creating a sound that is timeless and real. The group's use of organs mixed with interesting lead guitar sometimes harkens back to the eighties, yet the overall sound is very current. This disc is very cohesive, with my favorite tunes being "Good Luck Morning" and "Old Crow." Very engaging stuff from a band I had never heard of before.
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