UMC.org Music Review
The Holmes Brothers: State of Grace
Label: Alligator
Sound/Style: Blues and soul influenced collision of contemporary and traditional sounds
By Steve Morley
(UMC.org)--The Holmes Brothers travel the two-lane highways of American music, both literally and figuratively. The performers preserve the roots of regional styles including rural country, New Orleans-style soul and Texas roadhouse music, creating a rough-edged blend.. They’ve remained on the well-fed fringes of American music for more than thirty years, recording for specialty labels like the Massachusetts imprint Rounder Records and, more recently, Chicago’s blues-based Alligator Records. The group’s move to the Alligator label signals a shift away from their overt gospel influences and towards a broad secular mix. Their latest release, State of Grace, takes a laid-back acoustic approach and features guest appearances from younger admirers of the band, whose members are mostly in their 60s. The band’s interest in contemporary as well as classic repertoire factors into their multi-generational appeal, but the primary attraction is their rootsy authenticity and their command of numerous American styles.
The Holmes Brothers’ interpretation of the punk-pop anthem “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” asks the song’s musical question with a straight face—a total reversal of the irony-laced version spat out so mockingly by Elvis Costello: “So where are the strong/ And who are the trusted/ And where is the harmony?…sweet harmony/ ‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away/ Just makes me wanna cry/ What’s so funny ‘bout peace, love and understanding…oooohhhh.”
Their remake of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” is even more of a revelation, unearthing pain and desperation that the perky original probably never intended to convey. Their Cajun-flavored take on the John Fogerty perennial “Bad Moon Rising” mixes joy with tragedy in an unusually resonant arrangement: "I fear rivers overflowin’/ I hear the voice of rage and doom/ Don’t go ‘round tonight/ ‘Cause it’s bound to take your life/ There’s a bad moon on the rise.”
The track’s proclamation of coming destruction, juxtaposed with its peppy Louisiana rhythm, points devastatingly to the recent tragedy left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
These tracks represent only part of the sprawling diversity contained on the album, the breadth of which unfortunately limits its depth and focus. Duets with Joan Osborne and Rosanne Cash provide enjoyable diversions but add little in terms of continuity. Cash’s polite performance on Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love With You” seems a mismatch alongside her gravel-throated duet partner, though neither singer can overcome the lack of heartache in the song’s breezy back porch delivery. Tracks like this and the obligatory spiritual, “I’ve Just Seen the Rock of Ages,” clearly display a variety show vibe that can dim the record’s pleasures. And while earlier efforts by The Holmes Brothers contained full-on gospel fervor aimed at a clearly acknowledged Savior, here they settle for a kind of surface spirituality. Stirring three-part harmonies and sanctified-sounding music sometimes waft the aroma of the Church, but discerning ears will note the absence of biblical substance. The closing cut, “God Will,” expresses only the enduring unforgiveness of a spurned lover: “And who keeps on loving you when you’ve been lying/ And saying things ain’t what they seem?/ God does but I don’t/ God will but I won’t/ That’s the difference between God and me.”
The difference between gospel-influenced music and the catch-all recipe found here is a considerable one, leaving State of Grace satisfying the soul but not the spirit.
Audio Clips
"Smiling Face Hiding A Weeping Heart"
"Close The Door"
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?"
"Gasoline Drawers"
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