Catch Willi Carlisle in a small venue and the imposing stature combined with a rapid delivery will freeze the moment. In line with the presence of the man himself, bury yourself in his latest record and you will emerge a refreshed being, one a touch nearer stumbling upon the soul of Americana. We know this vaguish term is downright undefinable, but sample the breadth of PECULIAR. MISSOURI on a willing rookie convert and you will either hook them for life or have them running for the hills. Descriptive words for this twelve-track condensed epic will race off the page, but if you're after succinctness stick with poet, balladeer, storyteller and authentic purveyor of the truth (the latter with a small dose of three chords).
The experience of seeing Willi Carlisle share a bill with the far quainter Mama's Broke at the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham was bordering surreal. At that point he wasn't focussing too much on the new record, a situation likely to change when he decides to return buoyed by the anticipation of the reception it will get once out for all to enjoy. Mind you, several warnings must prevail before you dive deep into the music of this Midwest born and raised native. First, buckle up for the long haul. You ain't going to get this in the first sitting. Don't be put off - keep going back - small chunks help. Eventually the magnitude will overspill into your senses and you too will be schooled in the songbook that scrambles across the undertow of a land.
No review will nail this album. Not the humble blogger or the seasoned scribe. The truth will only reveal from opening the freedom between your ears to let in the words, music and heartbeat of Willi Carlisle. However a few nuggets shared alongside the desired effect can ease the process.
This album gets released on the esteemed roots label Free Dirt Records and is the second full length effort from Carlisle. Cajun legend Joel Savoy is the producer guiding it successfully down many diverse sonic routs from accordion based border style to hoedown frenzy and many folk ports in between The dozen tracks surface in a concoction of formats and origins. The poetic arteries of the architect are sourced for seven of the eleven songs alongside a twelfth track taking the form of a spoken piece. This is the title track where the backdrop of an inconspicuous small town plays out to a Walmart meltdown. Just listen to the engrossing six minutes of 'Peculiar, Missouri' for clarity.
Johnny Cash connotations to the ultimate road song 'Vanlife' are possibly cliched, but, hey, they are so real I'm sticking with them. Picking top songs is not advised, but a twisted arm would head in the direction of 'Tulsa's Last Magician' which ebbs and flows as the most perfect of story song prompting many nuances to emerge after each listen. Carlisle throws the curtain wide open on 'Life on the Fence' with some blistering lines bringing his own sexuality to the fore. In the same vein as the striking pink cover.
The other four Carlisle originals are headed by 'I Won't Be Afraid' which is as catchy as you are likely to get from the folk repertoire. 'Your Heart's A Big Tent' is a solid opener if maybe a prelude to bigger fish ahead. 'The Down and Back' sees the pace picked up with fiddle racing ahead to re-energise things in the second half. 'The Grand Design' is a tamer banjo-led effort with the vocals entering cowboy mode territory.
Of the four borrowed songs, folk in its purest traditional form closes the album with 'Rainbow Mid Life's Willow'. This is as raw and evocative as the album gets with echoes of the sound exported from the British Isles centuries before. Closer to the album's soul is a version of Utah Phillips' Goodnight Loving Trail' nestled in the penultimate slot. The words of American poet EE Cummings are brought to musical life in 'Buffalo Bill' ably assisted by the rarely heard rhythm bones. Finally the diversity of styles come to a head with the traditional border ballad 'Este Mundo' which changes things markedly in midfield after the tumultuous paring of 'Tulsa..' and 'Vanlife'.
Exhausted, but totally won over is the state perpetual plays of PECULIAR, MISSOURI will leave you in. A state also of being schooled and educated in the wonderful mind of Willi Carlisle. This is one investment of time that runs sky high returns. Obviously a cocked ear, open mind and appetite for such an experience will soundly help. Choices are abound in music and art. Choosing Willi Carlisle is a wise one.