Label: Secretly Canadian

Web site: damienjurado.com

Release Date: Oct. 10, 2006

Damien Jurado - And Now That I'm In Your Shadow
Matthew Ralph

With this his sixth formal full-length musical release and according to his Web site his 19th overall offering, Damien Jurado delivers another 13 reasons why he deserves to be heralded as the quintessential American folk artist he has become.

Settling in with a more permanent lineup including Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad, Jurado is promoting his project as a three-piece band. But unlike the loud indie-rock of the Damien Jurado & Gathered In Song "I Break Chairs" project released by Sub Pop in 2002, this "band" project sticks to the Jurado formula that has made him a kind of cult hero since he was mailing recycled tapes with his lo-fi folk tunes to friends more than a decade ago.

The formula is simple but extremely effective: hushed vocals over calm organic soundscapes and unforgettable lyrics full of poignant images.

On "Had No Intentions" Jurado calmly sings a first hand account of murder over the faint strum of the acoustic guitar and atmospheric piano and violin. "He lay there bleeding on the floor, his mother beside him screaming 'Dear Lord,' someone shot my boy," Jurado sings.

Always the convincing narrator, no matter how unsavory the character he is portraying in the song, Jurado's melancholy voice lifts the songs and like any good storyteller hooks his claws into the listener.

With "What Were the Chances" it's lines like, "It's not like we're cheating we're only meeting in hotels and not your home", "Does your husband know I call you sweetheart?", "Would you change your last name to mine? I think my kids would mind", and "How the hell did I get here?" that draw the listener into a tragic and convincing portrayal of infidelity.

Though not the most uplifting of themes, Jurado and his bandmates fill the record with the kind of music that brings comfort and hope in all of the ugliness and tragedy.

It's slice of life stuff — material that makes for good folk songs and good storytelling by a singer and songwriter who doesn't get near enough credit for either.

posted [10.24.06]

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