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Hard-Rocking Album Finds Light In The Dark

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By CURTIS ROSS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 31, 2008

It's not self-mythologizing if it really happened. Alejandro Escovedo may have been alternative rock's Zelig for years, barely noticed as he morphed from punk to alt-cowboy to college rock road dog.

Escovedo has established himself as one of the finest songwriters and performers of the last 15 years with a series of excellent solo albums and spellbinding live shows. But he spent years in the shadows, first with first-wave punks The Nuns and then with Americana pioneers Chip and Tony Kinman in Rank & File.

Along the way, Escovedo amassed some stories. On "Real Animal," he tells them.

These aren't exactly misty water-colored memories. There's plenty of blood on these tracks, Escovedo's included. Death and decadence are prevalent, but Escovedo makes no apologies. He may have had to clean up his act - hepatitis C nearly killed him a few years back - but listen to him howl on "Smoke" and try to tell yourself he's advocating moderation.

Yeah, "Real Animal" is dark. "Chelsea Hotel '78" not only tells about Nancy Spungen getting killed and Sid Vicious got arrested, but how romanticizing death devolves into nihilism.

But there's no discernible irony on the blues stomp of "People (We're Only Gonna Live So Long)," on which Escovedo sings "I love people." And if plenty of Escovedo's heroes/friends are dead, he can still marvel at the bright flame of their lives.

Chuck Prophet co-wrote the songs, Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Thin Lizzy) produced, and Escovedo has crafted the hardest-rocking album of his solo career.

Download this: "Smoke"

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