Zack Logan –
Raised By Wolves (Badlands Records)
Released in early August, Zack Logan’s Raised By Wolves is an
album of country flecked Americana - and brings to mind a cluster of
singer-songwriters who came to prominence in the early ‘70s, from John Prine and
Steve Forbert, to just about anyone of those artists who got lumbered with the
‘next Dylan’ tag, and the expectations that came with it. Of course I say
‘poor’, but there were an awful lot of column inches put aside for those guys,
and the best of them overcame the lazy labeling and thrived. Bruce Springsteen
being the prime example.
So where does Zack Logan fit in? He certainly shares the same
blue-collar concerns as Springsteen, and his style and approach hints at
Prine’s easy delivery. It’s nothing overt, mind, more a shared record
collection and a way with a couplet. He’s a songwriter that consistently
impresses with subtle hints and understated pointers supporting and defining
his more unfussy prose.
The collection begins with ‘Annalee’, a simple study of a
relationship coming to an end, told with feeling (but never sentimentally), and
the sense of loss and heavyhearted sadness is palpable. Not cheery, but
desperately near to perfection. The title-track relies on some lucid imagery
and a catchy-as-hell chorus, but although the songs meaning is far from clear,
it’s tempting to read a great deal into Logan’s words.
Perhaps best of all is ‘Two Weeks At A Time’ – Logan’s missing his
girl as his job takes him away for… well the clues in the title. It’s a
laborers lament, though it probably works just as well for troubadours on the
road. We can ask him when he comes to our town.
Rollo
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