STILL SINGLE

A space for thoughts on music and culture, as written by Doug Mosurock and a select handful of individuals. This is intended as a supplement to our regular feature Still Single, published on Dusted Magazine. Updates will run here more frequently, and may feature writing on music not covered in the column. Compact discs are still not accepted for review -- we have more than enough vinyl and the occasional cassette to worry about.

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Doug Mosurock
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January 23, 2012

King Dude – Love LP (Dais) / Tonight’s Special Death LP (AVANT!)

RECOMMENDED

Someone has to have thought of cross-pollinating Pagan and country folk before King Dude (Seattle’s TJ Cowgill) turned up, but his trajectory is a lot more exciting to witness. In the span of two albums – 2010’s Tonight’s Special Death and 2011’s Love – Cowgill has pulled together a refinement of the form that stands up to most any challenge you could throw at it. Despite the hokeyness and sentimentality that can taint efforts that pioneer one mode of expression through another, Cowgill has no issues portraying the grim mortalities of neo-folk with a strummy, cult-like, near-winsome sensibility. A more austere presentation wins out on Tonight’s Special Death, but it makes a good companion to the more recent album, just to witness how far Cowgill has come in the process, with a striking, spare ballad in “Please Stay (In the Shadow of My Grave)” worthy of being canonized by David Lynch, and the irresistibly hooky, sinister singalong “Lucifer’s the Light of the World.” Both albums are getting scarce, so if you’re interested (and you should be), act soon. Excellent die-cut sleeve on Love adds to an already striking work, King Dude being every inch (unfortunate name withstanding) the balladeer who can turn to smoke. (http://www.daisrecords.com) (http://avantdistro.blogspot.com)
(Doug Mosurock)

1 month ago • Notes