Artist: Danbert Nobacon
Album: The Library Book of the World
Label: Bloodshot Records
Year: 2007
Reviewed by: Woodstock Slim
"John Malkovich wants to kill me!"
Who said that?
Danbert Nobacon did. Armed with a jerry can, now 22 years after his first solo album, here... rolling around the dirty gully floor of a stolen ship... is "The Library Book of the World!"
PHHhooOOAAarrRRRR!
"What's a poor planet to do.." the chorus to the first track called "Last Drop in the Glass". Not only can Capt. Nobacon writes compelling lyrics and the compositions on this album will make you join his revolution. On 'Library Book Of The World', a motley crew of shipmates join Nobacon (namely, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, featuring Jon Langford(Mekons, Waco Brothers), Alan Doughty (Jesus Jones, Waco Brothers), among other luminaries.
On "Rock 'n Roll Wars" he does a Tom Waits growl that will bring images of Captain Jack Sparrow perched a top a yellowing sail and braced for the north winds. Nobacon sings like a filthy captain from the sea faring era and has no subtlety what so ever. When he is subtle, he's rude. I think we all waited for this album to be made, we just had no idea who it was going to be and certainly didn't expect him to be from Leads.
Every Track is an anthem and you know that he's up to his usual crazy plots and ideas. The more you listen to the tracks the deeper you crawl inside his madness and hear what his really up to and the meanings behind the songs. The lyrics are not just pasted over the music. It's his constant search for justice and he fights hard again those who take shamelessly from others. The ballad "Tarin Kot" asks you to hang on, and wait for the piece of straw that will make a difference. Makes the hair on your neck stand on end, man. This is best album I've heard from this side of the fence. I love it when the outside of the envelope is pushed this hard and that a ship that was not really sinking has a new captain. I just don't know how hard and how good this branch of Americana is going to get at this rate. I guess the proverbial turd is in the drinking water and we're waiting to see who will surprise us with a new album trying to raise the bar...
Holly Golightly's new album, Bill Callahan, Micha P, M. Ward... all competing for this slot at the top. The bar was raised. The bar is set ladies and gentlemen.
