Aural Fixations

CHRIS WHITLEY
War Crime Blues
Weed
(Messenger)
I've said it before and I'll say it again, loudly: Chris Whitley is one of the most underrated artists on the face of the planet. Lots of folks celebrate his virtuoso guitar work, his soulful, elastic vocal chords, his distinctive songwriting or his deeply personal vision of the blues, but so few seem to consider the whole package. Maybe releasing two records at the same time is Whitley's way of calling attention to his many talents. War Crime Blues is a set of new songs wrapped in just voice, National steel guitar and footstomps. While Whitley is arguably at his most innovative when he's making electric music (see the vastly underrated masterpiece Terra Incognita), there's something to be said for stripping down to his metaphorical boxers. "Made From Dirt," the aggressive "God Left Town" and the title track seem to channel the man's very soul into your speakers, as his fingers fly, his heart rumbles and his larynx moans. The album also includes a trio of intriguing covers, including Lou Reed's acerbic "I Can't Stand It" (which adds a bit of ambient distortion to the otherwise dry mix), a nearly-unrecognizable version of the Clash's anti-draft anthem "The Call Up" and a brief a cappella take on the perennial standard "Nature Boy." Weed is a bit of a puzzle; again working solo acoustic, Whitley remakes 16 of his major label-era songs. For some of the tunes, including "Narcotic Prayer," "Weightless" and "Cool Wooden Crosses," the bare-bones approach works fine. Other tracks sound a little too naked; "Power Down," "Big Sky Country" and especially "Clear Blue Sky" suffer from the lack of flesh on the bones. It's also unclear why he thought "The New Machine" and "Phone Call From Leavenworth" needed remakes, since the original versions are already solo acoustic. Weed has its pleasures, but it's a bit too obvious a holding pattern, and considering the high quality of War Crime Blues, it's odd that Whitley felt the need to tread water at all. Michael Toland