Christopher Rees (New Album)
Monday 4th May 2009
CHRISTOPHER REES
DEVIL’S BRIDGE
Released – May 11th 2009
Fourth Album spins tales of Murder! Heartbreak! Salvation!
Following his critically acclaimed 2007 album Cautionary Tales, “A genuinely roots affair…that deserves to be admired”, (Fred Dellar – MOJO) Welsh singer, song writer, multi instrumentalist and producer Christopher Rees has developed his narrative storytelling even further with his fourth album Devil’s Bridge.
Largely revolving around compelling tales of murder and misconduct, he has also incorporated themes like curiosity, karma, confessions, mortality, sacrifice, shadows, heaven, hell, desolation, imprisonment, conviction and awakening to create his most disarmingly upbeat and immediate record yet.
With ‘Prescott’s Confession’ he uses traditional lyrics from 1833 and places them over a new banjo stomp, while self-penned originals like ‘What Walks Outside My Window?’ and ‘Shadows In The Night’ sound as if they could’ve come from a 50’s Rockabilly session at Sun Studio in Memphis (a place Rees visited as part of his musical pilgrimage through Tennessee last year). The presence of veteran rockabilly guitarists Pete Mathison (Ray Davies) and John Lewis (The Rimshots) also help inject a certain vintage authenticity.
Katy Rowe adds her irresistible violin to the frenzied bluegrass of ‘Kicked Out By Love’ and drummer Dan Tilbury (The Snakes, Redlands Palomino Company) provides inspired drumming throughout. Rees stretches himself to take care of all other instrumentation including guitars, banjo, mandolin, lap steel, church organ, piano, bass, choral backing voices and chapel shaking, foot stamping, hand clapping percussion!
Devil’s Bridge is clearly informed by Rees’ love of Americana, in all its diverse and dynamic glory. From Rock’n’Roll to Bluegrass, Gospel, Blues, Country, Spaghetti Western, Rockabilly and Appalachian Folk it’s all there. The cinematic tremolo guitars so favoured by Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch also provide some enticing atmosphere but as the 12 piece choral sections to songs like ‘All Our Beds Are Made’ and ‘World’s Fall Apart Everyday’ show, there remains something quintessentially Welsh about it.
Titled Devil’s Bridge because the album was predominantly recorded in a mountain retreat near the village of the same name in Ceredigion, Mid Wales and because of its connotations to the subject matter, it sees Rees take another giant step forward on a journey that becomes ever more fascinating and rewarding with each new album.
