Crooked County
Drunkard's Lament
Rustic Records 105

by Al Kunz

Time has been a good friend to me
And I declare
It's time to receive
The sun is there
And through the bottle I see
Drunkard's Lament ­ Toby Purnell

Crooked County hails from Southern Indiana, the land of John Mellencamp and Hoosiers basketball, technically the Midwest, yet a short drive away from the Bluegrass of Kentucky. Starting with a base of traditional country, then adding a large dose of bluegrass instrumentation and harmonies provides a basic description of Crooked County's sound. However the occasional addition of harmonica and accordion augment the fundamental musical direction, giving a folkish coloring to some songs.

Formed in 1998 by songwriter Toby Purnell, Crooked County released their debut Whisky Burns in 1999. In the intervening years band personnel have evolved to the current configuration of multi-instrumentalists Toby Purnell and Merrie Sloan who share vocal duties with guitarist Jason Purnell. Rounding out the group is Travis Olsson on drums. While not appearing on Drunkard's Lament, the group also has a second drummer, Mark Minnick, whose addition should make their sound even more unique for live shows and future projects. Musicians supplementing the normal crew included Kurt Squire on harmonica, fiddler Gordon Lowry, and Dennis Scoville on pedal steel.

Penned by Toby Purnell, who shares songwriting duties with brother Jason and Merrie Sloan, "High on the Hog" is the first of the fifteen cuts on Drunkard's Lament. This is the account of the aftermath of a break-up with a cheatin' woman, left with little money and few material possessions, yet still living "high on the hog" because of his new found freedom.

Living high on the hog now that I'm on my own
She nearly spent all of my profits but now she's gone
I spent seven years being true to the girl
She spent seven years cheating on me
And now I'm living high on the hog
Now that I'm free

Merrie Sloan takes her first turn at lead vocals on Than Hall's "L & N Railroad", the only cut not written by a member of the band. She also takes the lead on the fiddle-infused hillbilly sounding "Deliah" and the highlight of the release, "True Evil". Sloan's vocals take center-stage on this tune, with the subdued musical backing enhancing her singing without overpowering. While lacking the vocal range and soulful warble of Kelly Willis at her best, Sloan's performance comes amazingly close to sounding as if it's being sung by Willis.

Never meant to hurt you
I've got amends
I was only thinking of myself
And not the things I did

True evil is a woman
With whisky knocking down the door
Drink the bottle dry
And only leaves her wanting more

After seeing the title "90 MPH" on the track listing I was expecting a song along the lines of "105", Fred Eaglesmith's ode to the thrills of speed. This perception turned out to be the musical equivalent of "you can't judge a book by it's cover". The tune was actually a well done, but slower song, that dissects the evolution and disintegration of a relationship, ending with the refrain "90 miles an hour ain't fast enough/ To take me far enough/ away from this picture you've drawn".

Two tunes with a traditional or hard country sound are "Kentucky" and "Get Drunk and Gamble".

Why don't we get drunk and gamble
And we'll never play sober again
At the root of the problem you'll find me
Running the wind

Somebody help me I've fallen
Off the stool, I don't just get hurt again
At the root of the problem you'll find me
Running the wind

On "Grandpa's Grave" the liberal use of accordion melds an old-timey feel with a foot-stomping Polka beat. The final track is the folkish love song "Am I Crazy" with Merrie Sloan singing harmony vocals.

The sound of the rain keeps on falling
But the color of my sky's still blue
Endless nights have got me bawling
Am I crazy for loving you

The look in your eyes keeps on talking
I can tell what you've been through
It really kills me to see you when you're crying
Cuz I could tell you, what to do

With their sophomore release, Drunkard's Lament, Crooked County has delivered a solid batch of songs, no clunkers and a few gems. For those who like the sound of Kelly Willis "True Evil" alone is worth the price. To find out more about Crooked County including current tour dates visit www.crookedcounty.com Drunkard's Lament can be purchased from your favorite e-tailer or at www.rusticrecords.com, where song samples are also available.

Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net

 
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