Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil

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4...according to our Brian on Thu 15 Apr, 2010.

Dave has ruined things for me a bit today. He keeps saying unpleasant things about original spaceface Roky Erickson. The picture on this Chemikal Underground sponsored comeback album is quite remarkable. He has the eyes of a man who's fave pastime may once have involved copious amounts of mind splattering drugs but it also portrays the serenity of an old sage who has surely had some of the most rotten luck & persecution from the dastardly US authorities in R'n'R history. This album is pretty varied in style & has occasional blips in quality - dusty, hazy psychedelic rock like the fantastic 'Good Bye Sweet Dreams' gets brought in close proximity with slightly mawkish country flecked balladeering & worthy foot-stomping college rock - but it's a largely enjoyable, warm-hearted romp from a much-loved total legend. This good ol' Texan country boy has been done proud by his backing band here (Okkervil River), there's many, many a magical moment to savour and some concerted efforts to recapture past glories. There is a notable absence of electric jug playing ala 13th Floor Elevators but who gives a fuck when 'John Lawman' reaches its crescendo, you know you're listening to a genius.....

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•   Roky Erickson’s first album in well over a decade - an overwhelming selling point in itself.

•   Will Sheff from Okkervil River produced and effectively curated the album, choosing from over sixty largely unreleased tracks recorded over Roky’s forty year career.

•   Okkervil River provide the backing on an album that uses archived material recorded on Dictaphones during Roky’s incarceration at the Rusk Maximum Security Prison For The Criminally Insane.

•   The album deals frankly and poignantly with themes of loss, mental illness and ultimately redemption. Roky’s vocal performance is mesmerising and is complimented brilliantly by Okkervil River’s musical backing.

Devotional Number One * Ain’t Blues Too Sad * Goodbye Sweet Dreams * Be And Bring Me Home * Bring Back The Past * Please Judge * John Lawman * True Love Cast Out All Evil * Forever * Think Of As One * Birds’d Crash * God Is Everywhere

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