[rating=4.00]
When it comes to Jace Everett there are two types of people: those familiar with his previous two albums and those who have discovered him through the highly popular and critically acclaimed HBO series, True Blood. For those few folks who know of the previous two albums, Everett’s third and latest album, Red Revelations is a major departure in tone and style. Revelations comes from a rather dark place of mind – a bluesy, sweaty sort of an affair, concerned with seduction, obsession, sex, vice and sin. And for those who know of Everett through "Bad Things," the new album fits the tone and mood of tone of the show so perfectly, that it almost seems as though Everett and company wrote the album with the show in mind. However, to audiophiles, Revelations is perhaps closest in tone to T. Bone Burnett’s The True-False Identity but with a looser, shaggier, jam-session sort of feel – and with a couple of fun, loving, playful tunes to lighten the mood towards the middle of the album.
The songwriting – both musically and lyrically – are pretty damn good. Unlike most records these days where there’s a fair number of cringe-inducing lyrics and verses, there are many one or two that may make you roll your eyes slightly, if you’re paying attention; however, they’re sung with a ton of conviction which makes it forgivable. And musically, Everett’s backing band plays a country blues that stomps, kicks, struts and rocks much harder than most recently released country and blues albums. As a re-introduction this album is an impressive statement of purpose.
