Blood Meridian, We almost made it home…

Blood Meridian’s We almost made it home… reminds me of the Young Guns 2 soundtrack — meaning, it’s country music made by Yankees, and plus, it’s cinematic much of the time. It starts with slow, haunting, rising action, builds to a lagging second act, then hits a promising crescendo, and then there’s the resolution that’s reminiscent of the spooky opening sequence.

It’s not country, because “country” is the genre that Nashville took, made its own, and squashed 20 years ago. In the ’70s this would have been called “country,” it’s true, but this was recorded last year. The only reason it’s not “Texas music” is ’cause these guys are from Canada. I think this is best described as “Western music.” It sounds like Jay Mascis is singing while the Weary Boys play half time, the way George Jones, Waylon, or Hank Jr. used to play half time in the ’70s and ’80s.

As dark as the subject matter gets, this CD is still refreshing because this guy is admitting to some stuff I haven’t heard anybody confess to since Tupac died — things like paranoia and mental problems that play well at this speed. And, much as it may seem a cliché, there’s not a lot of country artists who sing about their own deaths anymore.

We almost made it home… carries all the great conventions of country music and none of the bad ones. The spooky refrains, the haunting harmonies, all the country instruments… harmonica, steel guitar, and fiddles (or “violins,” take your pick) all come in at different times. None of the plays on words, no cheeky puns, and hey, no jingoism.

If these guys were from Texas, they’d regularly play the Continental Club to big, big crowds. This is something I’d listen to 50 or 100 times. I’d burn this for my friends, and they’d burn it for their friends. These guys live in Canada. They’ll never find out.