World Only Ends When You Die, The

In 'Die, Skyway Man, aka James Wallace, presents a soulful americana/dream-pop opera inspired by a trip on the mythological River Styx. As such it follows the travails of one battling the gods while recovering from a near death experience. The story also borrows heavily from old time gospel tunes which are repurposed for this magical journey. Sonically the disk combines a unique pastiche of styles which include generous dolops of soul, reggae and synths over his laconic JJ Cale style vocals. Together they give the disk a unique 21st sound while honoring its gospel inspiration.

RIYL: Jonathan Richmond, T. Rex

1 Muddy Water - slow, syncopated talk/sing with a dreamy vibe (slow, 4:23)***
2 Sometimes Darkness' - blissful toe tapper based on Woke Up The Morning by Blind Rosevelt Graves (med, 5:33)***
3 Old Swingin' Bell - old timey gospel sound updated with Theremin? & saxophone (med, 4:11)*
4 Did Ya Know Him - Nice cello & horn accents on this low key rocker (med, 6:01)**
5 Common Void - dreamy & melancholic reflection on his father's passing (slow, 2:53)*
6 Rise of Integration - trippy instrumental with some voice over (med, 1:13)
7 Don't Feel Bad About Being Alive - celebration of life inspired by a fan's comment about his sad music, with killer driving bass intro (fast, 4:47)**
8 Night Walking, Alone - slow ode to romance based on his experience delivering Valentines flowers with nice orchestration (slow, 3:44)
9 Atom Bomb - short talking intro breaks to full throttle rocker, think 21'st century J.L. Lewis (fast, 2:57)**
10 Power - dreamy interpretation of an gospel track by Brother and Sister W.B. Grate (slow, 4:50)**