If the subdudes' music were a fruit, it would be a bunch of red grapes eaten out of season: robustly flavored, composed of taut clusters of sound loosely arranged that – left to mull a bit – induce a mild intoxication. This is New Orleans R&B at its most swinging, with touches of barroom blues, gospel-inspired harmonies, rock and country rhythms and, very simply, some fine playing. The Subdudes' two previous albums, though gutsy, critically acclaimed and beloved by their cultish following, now feel a little constrained compared to Annunciation, which flourishes their always refreshing brand of Southern rock with broader thematic and melodic horizons.
Flames Recordings, on the Crescent City's Annunciation Street, the album was named for the locale's spiritual as well as geographic overtones: The Annunciation is the name given to the angel Gabriel's pronouncement that the Virgin Mary was carrying the Christ child. The four Subdudes have more modest ambitions, but the album does delve into spiritual territory and does so without, mercifully, a hint of preachiness and with an abundance of high spirits.
This optimism, after years of getting the short end of the industry stick, shines brightly in the new music. "Save Me" is the catchiest song and the one with the greatest emotional reach: Lyrics expressing a deep faith, urged on by a lilting accordion and restrained slide guitar, open up the possibility of salvation: "Beautiful child running up to me/With arms open wide/The time has come, to be set free.... Sweet bird of youth, save me/I believe the truth is gonna save me."
There's also a great deal said about the absence of love, with a touching pragmatism on the subject of loneliness setting up a bracing contradiction between rueful lyrics and upbeat instrumentation. On the funked-up "You'll Be Satisfied," guitarist Tommy Malone advocates hope ("It's not the end because she's gone/You can't strike out unless you swing.... With your heart open wide/You'll be satisfied"). "Fountains Flow," with keyboardist-accordionist John Magnie on vocals, obliquely tackles more existential questions ("When will the fountains flow?/How will the multitudes know/When and where to gather").
Johnny Ray Allen's bass and Steve Amedee's stunning tambourine – no, that's not a full drum kit, it just sounds like one – complete the lineup. Guest appearances by multi-instrumentalist Howard Levy, gospel guitarist Willie Williams and jazz-funk keyboardist David Torkanowsky add variations in texture. No one can accuse these guys of overproduction, and the result is a soulful record that verges on the addictive. (RS 685)
ADELE SULCAS
