Allison Moorer
The Duel
»
Allison Moorer
The Duel
Sugar Hill, 2004
RiYL: Gospel, darkness, Neil Young |
So what is The Duel? The crunchy guitars seem to be channeling Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and the slow, steady, almost militaristic drumming is more in line with the protest music that came out of the '60s. And those acoustic tunes, well, they aren't quite gospel, but they're.. spiritual.
Then there's that voice. That sweet, powerful, achingly beautiful, soaring voice that is the common thread in all these songs. That voice, the one with a guttural power than can bring you to tears; well, that's here. And also the darkness. The darkness that envelops just about all her songs, weaving tales of heartbreak, misery, depression; well, that's here too. Now I'm going to be honest here. Rhis album is not nearly as friendly on the ears as Miss Fortune. On that album, Moorer chucked away her slick Nashville past and served up some southern soul with Stones-esque blues on the side. Her soprano was clearly the star.
The Duel is a different story. She still wails with the best of 'em, but if Miss Fortune was a showcase for her voice, The Duel is a showcase for her soul. Throughout, she takes on the government, alcoholism, lost love (of course), and, most prominently, God. She struggles and eventually loses her faith in both her God and, seemingly, her country. And the result is certainly not for the faint of heart.
The Duel opens with the Young-influenced "I Ain't Giving Up On You," a gloomy song that plods along with distorted guitars and heavy, steady drumming. The song seems to be somewhat of an optimistic love tune, but this being Allison Moorer, the message seems to be, just take what you can get. "The tin horn's jumping off the deep end / Betting on a million-to-one shot / All I want to do is break even / And you're the best chance I got," she sings.
The beat doesn't really pick up until "Melancholy Polly," but that song tells the tale of an old songstress who just can't get a break: "Melancholy Polly spills her guts onstage / She can't get her jollies any other way."
If that song isn't somewhat biographical, "Believe You Me," "The Duel," and "Sing Me To Sleep" certainly are. All three discuss her relationship with God, or her lack thereof. Perhaps somewhat inspired by Ian Hunter's 1976 faux-Dylan "God (Take One)," the title cut takes no prisoners: "What my heart adores / Are miracles old-fashioned news / No healing hands were ever used / Faithlessness was my excuse / Tell me, what was yours?"
While that number will make it tough for her to get played on any Clear Channel-owned radio station, "All Aboard" will seal that fate for good. The song is a stinging attack on blind patriotism and, although not mentioned by name, the Bush administration's seemingly calculated plan to paint those who question war seem un-American. "A team of old white studs / pulls this rolling country club / climb right in and take a seat / down the beaten path we'll run / high-stepping to the drummer's drum / and if you don't love it you can leave."
The Duel is dark, downtrodden, and gloomy. But hey, life can be that way too, and Moorer, bless her heart, sees no reason to cover it up.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.