 |
|
Everybody's Beautiful
Artist: Waterdeep
Label: Squint Entertainment
Length: 13 Tracks/54:21 minutes
|
 |
There aren't many hippies in modern music.
Maybe a few of the more obscure folk artists could be called hippies, but
there hasn't been a major-label release from a group of them for many
years.
Until now. Squint Entertainment is
releasing a new album, entitled Everybody's Beautiful, from the
insanely popular independent group Waterdeep. And if these guys
aren't hippies, then nobody is. But don't dismiss their music as
outdated protest songs--this music is at once classic and relevant, at
once familiar and new.
The music's exactly what you'd expect from
hippies in the 90's--acoustic guitars framed by electric splotches, and
even an organ. The lyrics, though, are the real treasure of Everybody's
Beautiful. They are, for the most part, story-songs, telling
stories of sin, redemption, hopelessness, and hope. My personal
favorite is "Sweet River Roll":
Homebound
Henry, he's got a tumor in his head
He wakes up
sweating every morning after dreaming he was dead
He used to
think that life was boring, but now that's not the case
He turns to
his wife in the evening
He says,
"Honey, I'm afraid I'm gonna lose this race"…
Soaking
wet Juliet, she lives in a well full of tears
Her husband
left her for some bimbo after twenty-two years
And she's got
to start all over, but she's just so terrified
She thinks it
would've been so much easier if he would've just died
Waterdeep could easily be compared to the
late Mark Heard, pointing out hope to the disenfranchised, while playing
some kick-butt folk music at the same time. I predict a bright
future ahead for them.
Michial Farmer 10/15/99
Waterdeep's "hippy" influences
are well documented and lead to a quirky-pop sound mixing loose electric
and acoustic guitars with lyrics that look to a future hope. As a result
of its quirkiness, the album takes a while to warm to, but even after
repeat listenings it sounds as if it could do with a little more focused
energy. The cooks are obviously talented craftsmen and the mixture is
compelling, but the presentation could do with a little more work. An
enjoyable dish, but not one that lingers in the memory.
James Stewart 11/26/1999
|
