St. Louis' own Pokey LaFarge has been one of the top draws coming out of The Gateway City for sometime now. His talents have allowed him to travel the world, appear on a song from Jack White's Grammy nominated debut solo album and play in front of thousands of fans.
For those of you unfamiliar, Pokey LaFarge is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriting known for playing music of the classic-yet-oft-forgotten styles of swing, Americana, bluegrass and folk among others. He hails from St. Louis, Missouri and he is back with a brand new album entitled Something in the Water. This is Pokey's first release since his 2013 self-titled album released on Jack White's Third Man Records based out of Nashville, Tennessee. This time around however, his new album is being released by Rounder Records, also out of Nashville.
As a fan of Pokey LaFarge's music, I was disappointed with his self-titled 2013 release. There just wasn't enough experimentation with his sound to keep my attention. That is not the case on this new release. On Something in the Water, there is an added priority on the horn section that brings more energy that was missing on the last record. Songs like, 'Wanna Be Your Man,' 'All Night Long,' and 'Knockin' The Dust Off The Rust Belt Tonight' excellently emphasis the horns. And then there is the song 'Goodbye, Barcelona' that has the horns the really exemplify the mariachi sound this song is going for. This track is one of my favorites on the album and one his most experimental tracks of his career.
The traditional ballads on this album are some of Pokey's best. Keeping the music simple and letting the lyrics and Pokey's vocal performance be the focal point of the songs. Tracks like 'When Did You Leave Heaven.' and 'Far Away,' are too prime examples of some of Pokey's best ballads to date.
The title track from this album, 'Something in the Water' may be the best song Pokey has released so far. It has everything going for it: the witty lyrics that paint a perfect picture, the catchy chorus, the phenomenal instrumentation behind Pokey and the charm of Pokey's delivery that fans have known to love. The music video is quite entertaining too. This song will leave you humming it for days. This is the song to play for someone who is unfamiliar with Pokey LaFarge.
The only songs on this album I didn't particularly enjoy were 'Underground,' and 'The Spark.' I like where 'Underground' was going with the pounding percussion followed by blasting horns, but the sound of what sounds like a group of men humming gets old very quickly. As for 'The Spark,' nothing really sticks out about it. It is just kind of there. Not a bad song, but nothing special.
Overall, I have to give Something in the Water an 8.5/10. This is Pokey LaFarge's best release so far. The smooth rolling music on this album will have you playing this album over and over. The experimentation and evolution of Pokey's sound while keeping to his roots has really made for a more than exceptional release.
Hits: 'Something in the Water,' 'When Did You Leave Heaven,' 'Cairo, Illinois,' 'Goodbye, Barecelona,' 'Actin' A Fool'
Misses: 'Underground,' 'The Spark'
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