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Colin Jones:
Most I Could Muster (EP)
Colin Jones is a recent transplant from the west coast to the Williamsburg, VA area, and Most I Could Muster is one of the first releases on his new record label, Green Garlic Records. Jones is a folk-styled singer-songwriter, and this release showcases five of his original songs. The release is a one-man production with finger-picked acoustic guitar, harmonica, and an unusual style of storytelling. Over the years, I've heard many local Virginian artists attempt this sort of style with limited success. Places like Charlottesville and Harrisonburg may border the Appalachian Mountains, but that doesn't mean that any of the talent can be found at lower altitudes. Many local artists I've bumped into come off as the bastard offspring of 80s Bob Dylan and John Mayer in a way that makes my spine shiver in horror. So if warning signs shot off in your head when you heard me mention Virginia and singer-songwriter in the same sentence, relax. Take a deep breath. Colin Jones is from the west coast, and his style is thankfully quite different from what Ive just described. He is quite adept at the harmonica, and he knows how to combine it with his guitar in a way worthy of the singer-songwriter genre. I'd say the music and mood of the release would appeal to any fans of Ryan Adams Heartbreaker for a comparison, but the lyrical content is certainly a bit different. Most striking is "Middleclass White Man," which is a strange tale of a nave man who ruins his life by a series of bad decisions when all he's looking for in life is a mini-van. This pessimistic tale comes off as slightly overdramatic to me, but it does have a certain charm that is evident in some of Colin's others songs. My favorite song here is probably the opening track "Shame on Me," where Colin takes the role of a casual observer describing a homeless man. What makes this song work best is the subtle lyrics that leave the listener to wonder about the story in a relaxed mood. Other songs have strong words and images which sort of stick out in the framework of the peaceful music. But there is one song here where Colin pulls off some strongly opinionated thoughts in a musical framework that suits the lyrics well. This track, "Cart before the Horse" is a contemporary tale of US prejudice against Arabs in the wake of the present state of terrorism. Political songs for me can be a mixed-bag, probably because the whole notion seems in many ways hypocritical whining about the power a politician wields over the minds of the people while the musician is attempting to inflict a similar state of hypnosis over his audience. I could write a book on this issue, but for the sake of time let's just say that some artists attempt political songs and reek of ignorance and insincerity, while others manage to express new ideas and opinions in ways that can often stimulate the minds of an audience in a positive way. Thankfully, "Cart before the Horse" falls into this latter category, which is no small accomplishment. Most I Could Muster is an intriguing release with a good bit of potential scattered amongst its tracks. The winding path of a singer-songwriter nowadays can be filled with wrong turns, but for now, it seems like Colin Jones has a good idea of how to use his compass.
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