High Lonesome [Explicit]

Artist: David Stephenson
Album: High Lonesome
Review by Rhonda Readence

The album High Lonesome by David Stephenson is the creative brainchild of a nine day recording session in Mesa, Arizona. As stated by Stephenson, the songs on High Lonesome are presented to the listener "in much the same way that they unfolded in the Reposa Room at Flying Blanket Records." This lends a raw essence to the album that perfectly compliments the material.

Stephenson is accompanied by Gerald Schoenherr, who engineered, mixed and mastered the album as well as lent his appreciable guitar skills. Also appearing on select tracks is Bob Hoag on drums. The songs on High Lonesome have traces of a variety of genres from country western to punk to psychedelic rock. With this eclectic offering, listeners will be sure to find at least one song that reaches out to them in some way.

The album opens with the instrumental track "Aminal," which has an interesting story behind it. As Stephenson was riding Amtrack back to his home in Oregon from Michigan, he made the acquaintance of an artist named Jessamyn Patterson. She agreed to produce the cover art for his upcoming album High Lonesome and the song "Aminal" was inspired by the drawing she did. With a bit of psychobilly and a touch of country, the opening track is a foot tapper with a catchy beat and clean instrumentation.

"Bess McCullough" is an early punk-laden piece and Stephenson's vocals are reminiscent of Robert Smith of the Cure, most particularly during the Boys Don't Cry era. The song itself isn't truly a standout piece of music, but it does have attitude and a certain flair that brings to mind early punk pioneers like The Ramones. "Big Heart Attack" is a country western song through and through with a strong Waylon Jennings influence. The sadly melodic rhythm is the perfect match to the heart-wrenching lyrics. Stephenson's vocals are delivered in a soft style that carries the emotion of the song well. "Take Me In The Spring" also has a country flavor to it, but rather than a sense of sadness, this track offers a feeling of hope. The lyrics are uplifting and the guitar work is done with graceful skill. This could easily be a fan favorite.

"8 Ball" changes the pace significantly with a nearly industrial vibe to it. Stephenson is all over the board on High Lonesome and this offering comes as a wholly unexpected surprise. Fans of Ministry will likely be delighted with this piece and listeners with a vivid imagination might picture a version of Al Jourgensen strutting down a deserted western street with a pair of six shooters and a flame thrower. "Missing Arizona" reverts back to Jennings style country and Stephenson even yodels. At this point in the album, listeners may be slightly confused. Is this a country album? Is this guy a punk? Is he Al Jourgensen or Willy Nelson? Stephenson seemingly wants to take pieces and parts from a variety of genres and influences and create something uniquely his own. He succeeds admirably, but his listeners may not know what to make of the wildly different offerings on the album.

"Inside Out" is a snappy number with excellent harmonica playing and an upbeat catchy rhythm that lends itself wonderfully to the well-written lyrics. The sound quality on this piece is a bit tinny, but aside from that, this is one of the standout tracks on the album, showcasing Stephenson's lighter side despite the lovesick nature of the lyrics. "Better Days" is another exceptionally well-written song, although the sound quality is tinny on this track too. Stephenson's vocals are occasionally pitchy, but overall, this offering is what listeners have come to expect from High Lonesome; a solid piece of music with polished guitar work and honest lyrics.

The highlight of the album is "Lansing's Burning," an epic track with a killer sound. Bordering on psychedelic electronica, this piece summarizes everything David Stephenson wanted to accomplish with the eclectic High Lonesome. The track has attitude, a smooth beat, blazing guitar work and a polished sound. While some of the offerings on the album may not please everyone, everyone will be fascinated by the closing track, "Lansing's Burning." Listeners who were not quite sure what to make of Stephenson will now understand the creativity this artist has and better appreciate the diversity contained within the album.