Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Not surprisingly, Shawn Mullins' association with Sony didn't last long. His sophomore release for the label never found its intended audience, and with eclectic singer/songwriters not exactly in vogue in 2005, he found a more comfortable and logical home at Vanguard. Here was a company that thrived on, and had successful experience with, promoting other artists with idiosyncratic folk and folk-rock styles similar to Mullins. The feeling was mutual, since Mullins delivers a gem of an album with 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor.
With acoustic tracks recorded at the titular New Orleans studio, pre-Hurricane Katrina, Mullins has crafted a diverse offering that encompasses folk, rock, Celtic, and country, often interlocking in the same tune. He aims for early Black Crowes territory on the gospel-laced "Faith," and gives a personal spin to a self-penned murder ballad "Cold Black Heart," which is dominated by his work on charango, an Andean mandolin. The mandolin also plays a prominent role in "Homemade Wine," a moody story-song ballad about leaving town that takes advantage of Mullins' deep, expressive voice. "All Fall Down" finds its rocking heart in the Beatles' "I Want You," especially as it builds in intensity with circular chords that accentuate the melody. The disc's first single, the harder-edged "Beautiful Wreck," is also better than anything on the short-lived Thorns' project, a band in which Mullins shared the stage with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge (Droge helped co-write the track). Mullins goes traditional religious on the waltz-timed "Lay Down Your Swords, Boys," which culminates in full Salvation-Army-band mode with backing vocals. Mullins taps into his inner James Taylor on the bluesy "Solitaire," and closes out the album with a moving version of "House of the Rising Sun" that builds from acoustic to electric instrumentation as the singer interestingly takes the original female voice of the protagonist. The song seems to be his tribute to New Orleans, a city whose dusky atmosphere has subtly contributed to Shawn Mullins' most poignant, cohesive, and diverse album yet.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133,33/month
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, Composer, MainArtist - Glen Phillips, Composer - Pete Droge, Composer - Marshall Altman, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, Composer, MainArtist
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Shawn Mullins, MainArtist - Unknown, Composer
(C) 2006 Vanguard ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records, a Welk Music Group Company
Album review
Not surprisingly, Shawn Mullins' association with Sony didn't last long. His sophomore release for the label never found its intended audience, and with eclectic singer/songwriters not exactly in vogue in 2005, he found a more comfortable and logical home at Vanguard. Here was a company that thrived on, and had successful experience with, promoting other artists with idiosyncratic folk and folk-rock styles similar to Mullins. The feeling was mutual, since Mullins delivers a gem of an album with 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor.
With acoustic tracks recorded at the titular New Orleans studio, pre-Hurricane Katrina, Mullins has crafted a diverse offering that encompasses folk, rock, Celtic, and country, often interlocking in the same tune. He aims for early Black Crowes territory on the gospel-laced "Faith," and gives a personal spin to a self-penned murder ballad "Cold Black Heart," which is dominated by his work on charango, an Andean mandolin. The mandolin also plays a prominent role in "Homemade Wine," a moody story-song ballad about leaving town that takes advantage of Mullins' deep, expressive voice. "All Fall Down" finds its rocking heart in the Beatles' "I Want You," especially as it builds in intensity with circular chords that accentuate the melody. The disc's first single, the harder-edged "Beautiful Wreck," is also better than anything on the short-lived Thorns' project, a band in which Mullins shared the stage with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge (Droge helped co-write the track). Mullins goes traditional religious on the waltz-timed "Lay Down Your Swords, Boys," which culminates in full Salvation-Army-band mode with backing vocals. Mullins taps into his inner James Taylor on the bluesy "Solitaire," and closes out the album with a moving version of "House of the Rising Sun" that builds from acoustic to electric instrumentation as the singer interestingly takes the original female voice of the protagonist. The song seems to be his tribute to New Orleans, a city whose dusky atmosphere has subtly contributed to Shawn Mullins' most poignant, cohesive, and diverse album yet.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:55:40
- Main artists: Shawn Mullins
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Vanguard Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2006 Vanguard Records ℗ 2006 Vanguard Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.