Kevin Bowe & The Okemah Prophets - Restoration Pop Sense Records 2506

By William Michael Smith

	Looking over the list of Kevin Bowe songs that have been recorded by other artists, one might expect that his latest album, "Restoration," would be a blues or blues-rock record. Bowe has written songs for or with bluesers Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Delbert McClinton, Johnny Winter, Austin sensation Shannon Curfman, guitar whiz Leo Kottke, and John Mayall. Curfman & Bowe's 'I Don't Make Promises' was recently used on an episode of The Sopranos. But "Restoration" isn't a blues album. Instead it is pure Mid-Americana, full of twangy roots rockers and alt-country that could just as easily come from Steve Earle, Tom Petty or even from pop-rock wonders Wallflowers as from an artist known for his blues compositions. The album fits perfectly within the boundaries of what has come to be known as "No Depression," typified by the likes of Wilco and Son Volt. Perhaps the biggest compliment we could pay Mr. Bowe would be that some of his arrangements and his evocative but down-to-earth lyrics could be mistaken for those of Nashville roots-meister Buddy Miller. Bowe, who plays guitar, banjo and harmonica, is backed on "Restoration" by The Okemah Prophets, a group of fellow Minnesotans consisting of John "Bongo" Haga on drums, John Wright on bass, Marv Gohman on mandolin, fiddle and 12-string guitar, and co-producer Andy Dee (along with Brian Hanna and Bowe) on guitar, lap steel, sitar, percussion, and 6-string bass. After his initial songwriting success with his previous band, The Revelators, and subsequently becoming the first songwriter to be offered a songwriting contract with the prestigious Lieber-Stoller Publishing Company in twenty years, Bowe was scheduled for an appearance at SXSW in Austin and The Prophets were brought together. The SXSW gig went so well that they decided to keep the act together and record a CD. "Restoration" is the result and it is indeed a fine record full of well-constructed, memorable songs. Mr. Bowe is a brilliant hook finder and he and the Prophets don't waste time in grabbing the listener by the head and the heart with the melodic opening tune, 'Sault Ste. Marie.' With a lonesome harmonica and big-twang intro by Dee, this cut has a perfect jaded-by-the-road vibe and Bowe's voice has a husky Steve Forbert rasp that works perfectly with the aura of this fine music-for-the-head tune. From Sault Ste. Marie all the way to Coeur D'Alene Angels on the freeway speak to me Crosses on the road with names that I don't know A million whispers telling me where to go 'The Horrible Truth About Anne' is a twangy rocker that could fit right in the middle of any Steve Earle album (in fact, Earle has made these "let me tell you about that girl since she just dumped me and I know her better than you do" songs a staple). This is an energetic cut with lots of pop provided by drummer John Haga and Dee again laying on plenty of twang. Bowe's voice is world-weary, and his harmonizing with the Prophets on the choruses is a textbook example of "No Depression" vocalizing. Don't you know the horrible truth about Anne? You better get yourself out while you can Can't you see she'll leave you on your knees just like I am Don't you know the horrible truth about Anne? 'Sweeter World' is an ideal song for a movie soundtrack (cut to Tom Hanks, slightly drunk, sitting on the curb outside a bar at 3 a.m., pondering where the fun has gone). The song is poignant without any syrup or cheap sentimentality (OK, I guess Hanks is not the right star to cast), and again there is Mr. Bowe with that world-weariness in his but-I'm-one-of-the-good-guys voice. The walking wounded on the street they're all gonna tell you that The war we lost wasn't half as bad as the aftermath No more lovers, no more fighters Just three dollar covers and dirty one-nighters We're all done dancing here tonight With Jonny Lang's guitar assistance and Curfman on harmony vocals, Bowe delivers 'Leaving To Stay,' a lazy, bluesy, dramatic ballad. Unlike his usual frenetic playing, Lang makes a delicate statement with a subdued slide guitar solo. And Bowe again comes close to blues on the dark 'Jefferson Davis Parish.' While the Prophets deliver the tune as a country rocker, the lyrics would certainly work in a blues context. The singer has followed his lover to Jefferson Davis Parish "where she crawled back home, moved back in with her mama and she won't pick up the phone." Waiting in hiding for his chance to steal her away, the singer encounters "snakes in the water, snakes in the grass." Bowe's songwriting is filled with sly bits of knowledge learned the hard way. He excels in the examination of the motives and pitfalls in relationships, but he's not above deep self-examination either. On the sorrow-tinged twanger 'Living Proof' Bowe proves he is capable of making some very pithy observations. You got to buy back every lie you ever sold You got to live with every truth you never told You got to live with it when it all comes back to you Look at me, I'm living proof Speaking purely from the sense of songwriting, 'Dead Letters' is probably the finest example of Bowe's capabilities to put deep feelings on paper. I hear 'em walking up and down the halls I hear 'em talking through the holes in the walls We're all just talking to ourselves, I swear Words on paper going nowhere Dead letters sent to myself Lock 'em in a box on top of the shelf Dead letters is all I got left Dead letters sent to myself Don't think Bowe always plays by the "No Depression" rules. On 'Rest of the World' and 'Sadly Mistaken' he and the Prophets blow the doors off the car. The band rocks and Andy Dee shows the fuzzy, distorted attack side of his guitar playing. The album closes with the moving 'Goodbye Annabella,' co-written by Tom Mason. The arrangement is vintage The Band, complete with that wistful Rick Danko voice, even a dash of laconic Southern drawl. Dee's soulful slide guitar work is from the Buddy Miller minimalist, make-every-note-count school while the band's tempo is slow and deliberate. As the final cut, 'Goodbye Annabella' works as perfectly as the denouement of a classic novel. You held me up til you couldn't go on Now I'll stand here and watch 'til you're all the way gone I love you so much and you can't even look in my eye Goodbye Annabella goodbye Bowe and the Prophets haven't delivered a concept album in "Restoration," but they have delivered an album of 14 songs that hold together as a complete work, like chapters in a novel. There is never the impression, as with so many albums that cross our desk, that these are "singles" all cabbaged together with little thought for the overall album experience. No, "Restoration" is a neatly wrapped package, an album chock full of deft, in-control playing and sincere, finely honed, head-pleasing songs. It is a high achievement that each song stands well on its own but that they all stand together so well. We aren't used to albums with this much quality material sewn together so tightly. But give "Restoration" a listen. It won't take long to appreciate the work of this fine Midwestern band. *If your old CD collection is starting to rust, purchase "Restoration" direct from Kevin at www.kevinbowe.com Be the first one on your block to own something from Minnesota besides scotch tape and Stick-It note pads. Contact William Michael Smith at: wms-at-rockzilla.net

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