Strange Time To Be Alive

ROUGH HEWN FOLK-BLUES

Birmingham (AL)-based singer-songwriter Fredrick James Mullis Jr., performs as Early James. Both his debut full length album, Singing for My Supper (2020) and this sophomore effort were produced by Dan Auerbach. Mullis wrote or co-wrote all the songs. I enjoyed the gritty, unpolished vocals, good acoustic & electric guitar, and quirky, enigmatic lyrics (in the booklet). RIYL Dr. John, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen

FCC clean
1 ** Slow. Tech is leading us to a bad ending. Takes shots at Rogen & Musk (4:24)
2 Slow. About people having their fates bound together, told in many metaphors (3:50)
3 * Slow. In the long folk tradition of lover’s murder ballads. Gothic and dark (3:35)
4 ** Slow. Sounds like a pretty love song w/ piano accompaniment; but lists the many reasons these two shouldn’t be together. I can imagine Tom Waits singing this one (4:11)
5 * Slow. Another side-eye at the contemporary world, but not as clever as #1 (3:06)
6 *** Mid-slow tango. A smokey duet with Sierra Ferrell is a real gem (4:29)
7 Mid-slow blues rock. Time is softening old resentments (4:06)
8 Mid-tempo. Reflections of a ne’er-do-well on the road (3:08)
9 Slow. A laid back seedy sort of lovesong (3:05)
10 * Mid-tempo. Country-blues ballad with just acoustic guitar & voice (3:51)
11 * Slow. Wistful reflections on getting older. Some of his best singing is here (3:21)
12 Slow. Narrator is a loser with unrealistic expectations (3:12)