Smoke From The Chimney

Tony Joe White

Released on 2021-05-07 by Easy Eye Sound
Main artists: Tony Joe White
Genre: Country

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While the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach is forceful and creative enough as a guitar player to front a duo, his Easy Eye Sound label may be an even more impressive achievement. With Smoke from the Chimney, Auerbach has taken his producing talents a step further, delicately building a full band album around the skeleton of demo tapes left by the man who wrote "Rainy Night in Georgia," and "Polk Salad Annie"—the great Americana forefather, Tony Joe White. While the world is full of unfinished demo tapes, few attempt this kind of resurrection even in today's world of digital technology because what was originally intended died with its creator. But White just passed in late 2018, and his son Jody, who worked with father, was a part of the process. The timing is also right: Auerbach's growing respect for Americana's past makes him the logical choice to successfully flesh out what White had in mind. The arrangements and enhancements built around these demos are for the most part respectful and very much in keeping with the way White's career was going at its end. It also helps that in his final decade White mostly toured as solo act with just a drummer—à la the Black Keys—and his Stratocaster playing was very reminiscent of the kind of loud, bluesy electric pyrotechnics that Auerbach is famous for. On top of those advantages, White's voice retains its rough charms throughout and according to Auerbach was not manipulated in any way despite the presence of "vocal engineer" Ryan McFadden. And then there's the quality of the demos; Auerbach had lots to work with. These were not threadbare throwaways—many are as good or better than what appeared on White's last albums. With its melodic choruses, ideal loping tempo and old pro Bobby Wood on Wurlitzer electric piano, "Listen to Your Song" is the album's successful pop tune, working beautifully despite sounding too modern. "Del Rio, You're Making Me Cry" is an Old West tale with a bittersweet chorus that also benefits from vets like Paul Franklin on pedal steel as White gently croons, "Sometimes it don't rain enough/ To settle the dust/ But that West Texas rainbow/ Reminds me of us." And "Bubba Jones," with White in a near whisper and Auerbach and Marcus King leaning into the guitars just as White would have, is a classic Tony Joe White backwoods parable. The spark may be gone but there's still a lot of fire under this smoke. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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Smoke From The Chimney

Tony Joe White

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Smoke From The Chimney