Wes Freed is the creative mind behind all the great art the band Drive-By Truckers use to help create an image for their music.
His drawing on DBT’s recent “Go-Go Boots” album is great and gives a specific visual for the song of the same name.
It is a great album, and for me, was an interesting entry point to the band’s work.
Most DBT fans “got into the band” by listening to their earlier more familiar albums and worked their way forward to the present. I walked back in history with the band and was caught “hook :: line :: sink her”.
The opening sounds from the “Go-Go Boots” album are the words…
Then the head bopping crisp drum beat starts and tinny guitar riffs follow perfectly in line…just the right mix…allowing the vocals to run along side the back beat.
Reminds me of the band from Tom Hanks “That Thing You Do”, but not nostalgic. This is very contemporary.
I really like the brevity and directness of the song, as well as the cleaver line about seeing you in “the window’s shine”.
The acoustic version by lead man Patterson Hood does not do the song justice, but thought it was worth sharing so you can compare how much the studio instruments and producer arrangement bring to the song. If the band didn’t explore possibilities with this not so great demo song… young Ella would be without her favorite songs.
(Aside note Hood is playing at this year’s Clearwater Festival on Father’s Day.)
Just the other day, my friend Bill was asking me about what happens in the studio when band’s “cut an album” (love that phrase). For many — like Dawes (3/12/13) or (12/15/11) — magic that can’t be recreated naked on the stage.
Now special bands have the ability to be great (and distinctly different) live as well as in a studio recording (a topic for another day).
Peace. Flap Your Wings.
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