POOR MAN’S POISON – FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY
2011 – Self Released
3.5***
It is often the case that a band comes to meet their musical destiny by accident and so it is with this tremendous foursome (now fivesome!). This is supposedly their‘difficult’ second album, but rather than being a disappointment, as so many are, it is actually better than their pretty good debut.
The band consists of Ryan Hakker on Guitar, Mike Jacobs also on Guitar, Tommy McCarthy plays Mandolin, Dustin Medeiros on Upright bass and now there is the addition of John Bell on dobro, with all band members contributing to the vocals and their quite extraordinary four part harmonies. All of the instrumentation is acoustic but don’t think you are necessarily getting nice mellow laid back sounds. Although there are some on this tremendous album, there is also a quite punchy feel to many of these all band written songs. They are a total democracy with any one of them coming up with song ideas and then all chipping in and getting arrangements and vocals sorted out. They are definitely not a bluegrass band but are also not old timey. They blend the two with a little edgy folksiness and a string band sensibility, plus all of the other influences they have picked up along the way. Those influences have been added to for the ten years of the bands existence, during which time they have played
every conceivable strand in the roots genre and with various lineups. It was only when drummer, Dustin Medeiros stopped drumming through tinnitus and picked up a double bass for fun, joining Hakker and Jacobs who were toying with acoustic music, that things completely changed shape, then along came former guitarist McCarthy with a mandolin and their direction was set out for them! John Bell’s excellent dobro playing has been added since and with Hakker also playing occasional banjo and harmonica to give some extra variety to their tremendous songs they are pretty much a complete ‘stringband’(but without fiddle!).
Their sublime four part harmonies are as good as any harmony reliant bands such as the 1970s Eagles, CSNY, America, etc, but because the music is acoustic the songs feel stronger, in fact the vocals at times seem even better than those esteemed predecessors. There is a total lack of any over production and the fact that the songs have the space to breathe and develop without being tied in to a particular sub genre other than ‘acoustic music’ gives them extra freedom. The playing is always good, the arrangements quite sparse, gorgeous melodies and those tremendous vocals whether lead or harmonies ensure the album is always a rewarding listen. Add the quality songwriting that, whilst there are songs about romance, struck me as being predominately tales of lessons learned as we go through life and what we choose to do with those lessons. Album opener Georgia Law man has a nice driving mandolin on a mid tempo song that has a little of the high lonesome feel, with tremendous harmonies, on a tale about someone who has led a dissolute life style and finally falls in love, but possibly too late? Movin’ on has a slightly different feel to the songs that precede it with banjo joining mandolin on lead with lyrics that tell about lifes lessons whilst title track Friends with the enemy is a lovely slow moodily thought provoking song with really atmospheric mandolin. Jump that train contains some of the best harmonies on an album of tremendous harmonies, and is an excellent song that suggests its never too late to start again if only you give yourself a chance. Many of the songs are quite insightful and probably taken from various band members experiences but can also be extended, at least metaphorically, to the lives of most of us.
It’s always pleasing when, following an excellent debut album, the follow up is even better. I’m delighted to say that this is one of those cases!
http://poormanspoison.com
3.5***
It is often the case that a band comes to meet their musical destiny by accident and so it is with this tremendous foursome (now fivesome!). This is supposedly their‘difficult’ second album, but rather than being a disappointment, as so many are, it is actually better than their pretty good debut.
The band consists of Ryan Hakker on Guitar, Mike Jacobs also on Guitar, Tommy McCarthy plays Mandolin, Dustin Medeiros on Upright bass and now there is the addition of John Bell on dobro, with all band members contributing to the vocals and their quite extraordinary four part harmonies. All of the instrumentation is acoustic but don’t think you are necessarily getting nice mellow laid back sounds. Although there are some on this tremendous album, there is also a quite punchy feel to many of these all band written songs. They are a total democracy with any one of them coming up with song ideas and then all chipping in and getting arrangements and vocals sorted out. They are definitely not a bluegrass band but are also not old timey. They blend the two with a little edgy folksiness and a string band sensibility, plus all of the other influences they have picked up along the way. Those influences have been added to for the ten years of the bands existence, during which time they have played
every conceivable strand in the roots genre and with various lineups. It was only when drummer, Dustin Medeiros stopped drumming through tinnitus and picked up a double bass for fun, joining Hakker and Jacobs who were toying with acoustic music, that things completely changed shape, then along came former guitarist McCarthy with a mandolin and their direction was set out for them! John Bell’s excellent dobro playing has been added since and with Hakker also playing occasional banjo and harmonica to give some extra variety to their tremendous songs they are pretty much a complete ‘stringband’(but without fiddle!).
Their sublime four part harmonies are as good as any harmony reliant bands such as the 1970s Eagles, CSNY, America, etc, but because the music is acoustic the songs feel stronger, in fact the vocals at times seem even better than those esteemed predecessors. There is a total lack of any over production and the fact that the songs have the space to breathe and develop without being tied in to a particular sub genre other than ‘acoustic music’ gives them extra freedom. The playing is always good, the arrangements quite sparse, gorgeous melodies and those tremendous vocals whether lead or harmonies ensure the album is always a rewarding listen. Add the quality songwriting that, whilst there are songs about romance, struck me as being predominately tales of lessons learned as we go through life and what we choose to do with those lessons. Album opener Georgia Law man has a nice driving mandolin on a mid tempo song that has a little of the high lonesome feel, with tremendous harmonies, on a tale about someone who has led a dissolute life style and finally falls in love, but possibly too late? Movin’ on has a slightly different feel to the songs that precede it with banjo joining mandolin on lead with lyrics that tell about lifes lessons whilst title track Friends with the enemy is a lovely slow moodily thought provoking song with really atmospheric mandolin. Jump that train contains some of the best harmonies on an album of tremendous harmonies, and is an excellent song that suggests its never too late to start again if only you give yourself a chance. Many of the songs are quite insightful and probably taken from various band members experiences but can also be extended, at least metaphorically, to the lives of most of us.
It’s always pleasing when, following an excellent debut album, the follow up is even better. I’m delighted to say that this is one of those cases!
http://poormanspoison.com