I’ve long been fascinated by the character of Salieri, as depicted in the movie Amadeus.  His defining characteristic was that his only real skill was in recognizing the genius of his betters, and I’ve long identified that.  Despite having no real musical talent of my own, I believe that I have managed to stumble across quite a few treasures that the rest of the world has, in large part, ignored.  And so, I unleash my long suppressed music critic with the first of (possibly) many “Salieri Sessions”.  I give you “Blister Soul”.

*******************

Think R.E.M + Johnny Cash + Bob Dylan - Joanie Mitchell

Vigilantes of Love is an indie band from Athens, GA consisting of Bill Mallonee and two random musicians.  When the band "broke up" in the late nineties, Bill went "solo". This meant, I suppose, that he no longer had to pretend the other guys were somehow equal.  What this means to you, gentle reader, is that you  should not be dismayed by the death of this excellent act, as it goes on unabated under Bill's own name.

And dismayed you might be after listening to my own personal introduction to Bill's music:  Blister Soul.  It kicks off with the chiming guitars and Hammond organ of the title track, smelling like dusty North Georgia roads and tasting like your own bloody lip.  A hard luck, hard drinking, hard look at the down side of life, you could imagine it as the poetry Johnny Cash might write.

VOL has a history of being a sort of alt-country folk act, but "5 Miles outside Monroe" show they (he) can bring the hard stuff, too.  Like much of Mallonee's stuff, I'm not sure what it's about, but it kinda rawks so I don't mind that much.  If you like it, "Bethlehem Steel", "Baalam's Ass", and "Unsuccessful" offer more, and better, of the genre a few tracks later.

The third track is "Skin", a return to Malonee's cerebral folkie roots.  It's a beautiful little ode to Vincent Van Gogue's insanity and, I suppose, everyone else's too.  There's more of that sort of stuff, too, with "Parting Shot", "Certain Slant of Light", and the acoustic reprise of the title track.

There are also simple americana-infused jangle pop gems like "Offer", "Tempest", and the CD's best song, the almost radio friendly "Real Down Town". Mallonee's southern-fried (think “Sister Hazel”, not “Lynyrd Skynyrd") invite to "come see what he's found" is probably reason enough to buy the CD, all by itself.  These are songs tailor made for long road trips through dry farmland, sailing a land yacht and burning your left arm.

Mallonee will whipsaw the listener through raw depression, pugnacious defiance, and thoughtful meditation, but Blister Soul holds together better than a bag of wire hangers.  His artfully simplistic arrangements sound sincere without lapsing into maudlin or trite.  Moaning violins, honky tonk piano, soaring organs, electric, steel, and acoustic guitars all come together in perfect harmony to paint a romantic sepia picture of a poignant world we see every day and never really notice.

You can prolly get it for $3 from Amazon. Tell them I sent you.  Enjoy.