Langhorne Slim preview

Langhorne Slim
Schubas, Chicago
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Allmusic.com describes Langhorne Slim as “something of a one-man mixture of the Cramps, Beck’s early indie records (circa One Foot In The Grave), and the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou. Really? Because we don’t really hear it on Langhorne & The War Eagles’ newest album.

There’s nothing on the self-titled album, Slim and The War Eagles’ (Paul Defiglia and Malachi DeLorenzo) first for Kemado, that sounds anything remotely like T Bone Burnett’s O Brother soundtrack, maybe some of the charming simplicity of early Beck on songs like “Oh Honey,” and “Tipping Point” and “She’s Gone” may owe a little to The Cramps’ rockabilly swing, but certainly none of their perverity. While we’re agreeing to disagree, the site also calls Slim’s music “a sardonic, modern take on traditional folk, country, and blues.” The folk, country, and blues thing we’re fine with, but sardonic? Unless the definition has changed since 1979, the copyright year of our Random House College Dictionary Revised Edition, sardonic is “characterized by bitter or scornful derision” (maybe they’re referring to a “Sardinian plant that when eaten was supposed to produce convulsive laughter, ending in death?”).

We hear Tom Waits (especially “Colette,” Langhorne’s “Martha”); we hear Bob Dylan (“Oh Honey”), and we even hear Sufjan Stevens in the whimsical use of tubas and trombones on “Spinning Compass” and “Rebel Side Of Heaven.” And, more importantly, we hear it all quite respectfully.

The Builders & The Butchers open both shows. The lineup repeats Thursday, May 29th at Hideout.

– Trevor Fisher

Click here to download Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles’ “Rebel Side Of Heaven.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly