Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim
(Kemado Records, 2008)

I would call his vocals textured, but it’s weird using an adjective that refers to a tactile sense to describe something you hear. At the risk of sounding like an erratic American Idol judge, however, it’s really the only word that can aptly describe Langhorne Slim’s distinct vocals. His voice is bumpy, craggy, gritty, yet vulnerable, with a world-weariness that a young Brooklyn transplant with a goofy hat shouldn’t have, but oddly does—the kind of voice that can nimbly wrap itself around a fairly straightforward sentiment and make it sound strangely profound.

Slim’s self-titled effort is a quick, lean collection of 13 songs that clocks in at just over half an hour, making it a welcome, homey amalgam of all the good stuff that the catch-all, well-treaded genre of Americana has to offer. There may not be anything inherently original about the combination of booming alt-country arrangements, simple (yet not simplistic) folky lyricism, and a dash of organ and accordion. And yet, somehow the parts add up to more than the whole. Rousing opener “Spinning Compass” gleefully chugs along and seamlessly segues into “Rebel Side of Heaven”, a brassy romp that makes eternal damnation sound pretty damn fun. “And though we have sinned all of our lives, we ain’t going to hell / We’re going to the rebel side of heaven,” Slim so convincingly croons that you’ll want to join him on a party bus to the afterlife.

While a bit less scrappy than his 2005 official debut When the Sun’s Gone Down (things are a bit more polished this time around), Slim still retains the plucky charm that made him so endearing in the first place. The more fleshed-out, full-band sound works surprisingly well to complement his unique yelp, resulting in an awful lot to love. From a more upbeat, string-laden version of “Restless” (a song that originally appeared on Engine EP) to the ballad-like “Colette”, the howling, stomping exuberance of “She’s Gone”, and the rollicking, almost rockabilly-esque “The Honeymoon”, there is a real, organic warmth to the entire collection of songs. As a surprisingly cohesive whole, the album has such an effortless, sepia-tinged charm, it never sounds like it’s over-reaching for old-timey authenticity, something that the genre as a whole is often guilty of.

Although the instrumental aesthetic certainly evokes a bygone era where pedal steel was all the rage, Slim’s down-to-earth delivery is ultimately what keeps it grounded firmly in the present. Extolling the universal and eternally-relevant themes of love, loss, and heartache with a fiery grit and playful smirk is ultimately what continues to make the album such a delightful listen over multiple plays.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Like this article? DIGG it and sign up for our RSS feed!