Search - Paul Burch :: Last of My Kind

Paul Burch's "Last of My Kind" is the Best of its Kind

tobi rates | Greenbelt, Maryland | 07/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paul Burch has produced another musical gem. As noted on the liner notes, Burch uses the characters from Tony Earley's depression era novel "Jim the Boy" as inspiration. The songs evoke the Carolina hills in the 1930's; yet, influenced by more modern music and themes. The result is a album of songs set in the 1930's providing compelling insight into the minds and souls of the characters and that era. The soundtrack to "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" may have revealed an interest in 1930's country and bluegrass music which has not previously been exploited. "Last of My Kind" is a deeper journey into that era. The music is more compelling and the lyrics more subtle and penetrating then many of the more commercial offerings on "Oh Brother." Hopefully, audiences will use "Oh Brother" as an introduction to find great music voices like Burch's on "Last of My Kind." On "Last of My Kind", Burch foregoes his band ("the WPA Ballclub") and makes all the sounds himself. True to the period in which the CD is set, all the instrumentation is accoustic with the exception of "Electricity" -- a song about electic power coming to the town which allows Burch to cut loose on electric guitar. It also contains the wonderful line: "I've got fire/in a wire/e-lectricity!" "Polio" is a haunting tune sung by a character recently rendered paralyzed who sings "I feel a burning fire/but my limbs lay flat as a country tire." The song is actually far more compelling than the scene in the novel. In reading the novel, you can also find out the irony and humor in the line "one should never throw what one cannot catch." The 7-minute song works to a chorus which is reminescent of Dylan and the Band's "Basement Tapes." On "Harvey Hartsell", Burch takes an otherwise forgettable scene from the novel and turns it into a tongue-in-cheek tale of a man who, to avoid paying his creditors: "shot the horses/he drowned the dogs/he chopped the chickens/and he made steak out of the old milk cow." Not incidently, Burch plays three or four guitars on the song and weaves them into a brilliant break. The title song and "Up on the Mountain" are also highlights, but there are no weak moments in this stunningly authentic and original album. Burch clearly deserves a wider audience for both this CD and his previous releases. With the unexpected success of "Oh Brother" and Lucinda Williams' newest album, perhaps audiences will find him because he is better than they are!"

Feed Your Head

mymansyd | Tranmere, South Australia | 06/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Burch's fourth album of entirely wonderful old-time country - and his first without the WPA Ballclub, in name at least - features 11 new songs inspired by his friend Tony Earley's novel Jim the Boy. Burch has perhaps the warmest, purest sounding voice (somewhat reminiscent of Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan) in country music today and is a cruelly neglected young artist who's song-writing and interpretative skills are on full display on this record. From the gorgeous opening instrumental through to the album's standout track "Up on the Mountain" through to the brilliant title-track, Burch's Depression-era country stylings hit the bullseye every time. One can only hope that the proposed movie adaptation of Jim the Boy will feature every last second of this remarkable collection of songs."

Hauntingly Beautiful

Mike Roy | Pasadena, California USA | 11/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the guys in Spinal Tap might say (if they listened to Roots music), this album rates an 11. Paul Burch has created a expertly crafted and deeply evocative song cycle that brings to life Tony Early's quietly miraculous novel, "Jim The Boy". This recording, like all of Paul Burch's work, is just drop-dead-beautiful."