Italy's BLOW UP Magazine reviews 2 Trakwerx CD releases

AMERICANA

17 Pygmies

The Outlaw J.D. Ray •  CD

Trakwerx • 11t-44:30

Smoldering Ashes

Songs In The Key Of Mountain Birds Blue • CD • Trakwerx • 12t-38:00

Nuovo album per il mai dimenticato Philip Drucker aka Jackson Del Rey, a suo tempo tra le menti dei Savage Republic e da qualche anno nuovamente attivo con il suo progretto collaterale (e oggio principale) 17 Pygmies nonché come abilissimo autore di colonne sonore. Come e piu delle altre, quest’uscita dei Pygmies e all’insegna del-l’eccentricita: un concept basato su “ambizione, decadenza, amore perduto e ritrovato, le basi di ogni tragedia”  e ambientato negli USA di “un’epoca imprecisata dopo la Guerra Civile ma prima del ‘900”, secondo le parole del responsabile principale che, adottato il nom de plume di Blind Lemony Pledge Fresh Jackson e accompagnato da Maggie Mae (Meg Maryatt) e Rib-Eye (Jeff Brenneman) alle chitarre acustiche e D-Bone (Dirk Doucette) alla batteria, mette in riga dodici monocrome, lentisime ballate country e le impacchetta nel consueto capolavoro d’artigianato DIY: una confezione cartonata e infiocchettata manco fossimo nel 1880. L’atmosfera complessiva e simpatica e il suono piacevole ma di canzoni realmente memorabili non ce ne sono molte (si ricordano le buone She’s Gone e Half Moon Bay); il consiglio per Philip sarebbe di dedicarsi alle colonne sonore, dove sortisce risultati veramente eccellenti (vedi sezione DVD in questo stesso numero). (6)

A un anno e mezzo di distanza da “Nervous Constellations” tornano anche gli Smoldering Ashes, outfit dei due Pygmies Jeff Brenneman e Dirk Doucette con Veronica Ashe alla voce e Tory Troutman al basso. Non cambia molto rispetto all’esordio: ballate pop-rock a mezzo tra roots americane, evanescenze da chanson francese (Move The Clouds) e modulazioni wave (Shake an Etch-a-Sketch) condite da piccole tentazioni avant fino a sfiorare cose che rimandano persino ai Savage Republic (Birds No Cage). Decisamente meglio del primo disco. (7) Stefano I. Bianchi

Loose English Translation:

AMERICANA

17 Pygmies

The Outlaw J.D. Ray •  CD

Trakwerx • 11t-44:30

Smoldering Ashes

Songs In The Key Of Mountain Birds Blue • CD • Trakwerx • 12t-38:00

New album to never forget Philip Drucker aka Jackson Del Rey, in his time in the minds of Savage Republic and over recent years with its active collateral projects (that is main) 17 Pygmies as well as skilled author of soundtracks. And this is more than the others, the Pygmies and the banner of eccentric output: a concept based on "ambition, loss, love lost and found, the foundation of every tragedy" and set in the U.S. of an "age unknown after the Civil War but before the '900", in the words of the chief who adopted the nom de plume Lemony Pledge Fresh Blind Jackson, accompanied by Maggie Mae (Meg Maryatt) and Rib-Eye (Jeff Brenneman) on acoustic guitar and D-Bone (Dirk Doucette) on drums, brings twelve slow monochromatic country ballads packaged in the usual DIY masterpiece of craftsmanship: a cardboard and beribboned box that you would find in 1880. The overall atmosphere is friendly and sounds nice but really memorable songs, there are not many (remember the good She's Gone and Half Moon Bay); the council for Philip would be to dedicate to the soundtracks, which yielded very excellent results ( See the DVD section in this issue). (6)

A year and a half away from "Nervous Constellations" Smoldering Ashes is back, too, the two Pygmies members Jeff Brenneman and Dirk Doucette with Veronica Ashe on vocals and Tory Troutman on bass. Not really changed at onset: ballads, pop-rock cross between American roots, reminiscent of French chanson (Move The Clouds) and modulation wave (Shake an Etch-a-Sketch) served by small temptations to touch things on until that point even the Savage Republic (No Birds Cage). Definitely better than the first disc. (7) Stefano I. Bianchi