DEVIL'S BRIDGE
CHRISTOPHER REES
DEVIL’S BRIDGE
Released – May 11th 2009
Fourth Album delivers a potent cocktail of menacing murder blues, tremulous rockabilly and intoxicating country roots.
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 also incorporates themes like curiosity, karma, confessions, mortality, sacrifice, shadows, heaven, hell, desolation, imprisonment, conviction and awakeningto create his most disarmingly upbeat and immediate record yet.
With ‘Prescott’s Confession he adopts a traditional Murder ballad lyric from 1833 and delivers a brand new banjo stomp, while self-penned originals like ‘What Walks Outside My Window?’ (Released as a digital download single on the 6 April 2009) 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 with a nod in the direction of Elvis, Cash, Johnny Burnette and Gene Vincent.
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 QuentinTarantino 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.
‘What Walks Outside My Window?’ - released as digital download single - April 6th AVAILABLE FROM i-Tunes
Download 'Devil's Bridge' from i-Tunes by clicking the link below...
