[rating=8.00]
Amos Lee’s latest record, Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, is a testament to the fact that there are artists out there who know what a true Americana record is, critics and fans be damned. It’s more than a genre and it’s more than a mood created by a certain set of generally accepted sounds you expect to hear on an Americana record—depending on what your definition of an Americana record even is—it’s an exploration of the American experience and those things which are simultaneously universal and unique in their application. Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, is a genuine Americana release, and it demands your attention.
“Johnson Blvd” is a true-blue Americana opener, from the gentle percussion, whining guitar, dusty vocals and the story of hard times ravaging a small American town, while “Stranger” has a groovy roots rock sound that is accompanied by Lee’s melodious cries about being a stranger in his hometown, which calls to mind the somewhat transient nature of life. Lee warns you about shysters on the ragtime rock track “Tricksters, Hucksters and Scamps,” but then comes back with simply sung lines like “when will I be free” on the mid-tempo soft rock number “Indonesia,” so there are moments on the record which run from observational to deeply personal in a heartbeat.
The name of the game on this record, musically, is variety. The vibe on the slightly off-kilter rock track “High Water” is Willy Wonkaish, to be sure, but then on the sexy “The Man Who Wants You,” Lee croons soulfully to a woman about exactly what’s on his mind. “Loretta” sounds like a doo-wop-tinged Michael McDonald mash-up, and the acoustic “Burden” ends the record in a subtle, powerful way. Guest appearances by Alison Krauss on the mournful, mid-tempo country duet “Chill in the Air,” and Patty Griffin, who sings luscious harmonies on “Mountains of Song,” round out the record in fine fashion.
Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, isn’t an Americana record because of what it sounds like (though its musical diversity certainly helps), but it is an Americana record because of the way it weaves together a series of seemingly disparate experiences and makes them feel like they have happened to you before. More than an album that is pleasant to listen to, this is one that resonates deeply and whose power resounds like a foghorn in the depths of your soul.
