Jim White
A Funny Little Cross to Bear
Luaka Bop
8/10
Let’s get this out of the way: Jim White may well be one of the greatest troubadours Dixieland has produced since Otis Redding or Tom Petty, and that’s saying a lot. He’s also one of the few storyteller musicians who is alternately self-deprecating and intense. That’s the impression one receives when they hear the live version of A Funny Little Cross to Bear– a mini-compilation album that is as eclectic as it is dark. From the opening gothic bass of “Stranger Candy” to the slightly upbeat “Counting Numbers,” his work sends shivers down the spine. It is also one of the most profound albums to come out of the South in forever.
With lyrics like “Our’s life’s a song/Like an old 45/Start to skip in the groove just to stay alive,” White’s gravitas as a poet and philosopher shines through. But he’s also down to earth- just listen to “Jim 3:16,” a meditation on, of all things, a local bar. Anyone who claims that “A bar is just a church that sells beer” is worth paying attention to. Another interesting fact about White: he’s incredibly funny, as the monologue about setting up a middle-aged matchmaking service attests.
There are times when he can be a little confusing, though. The spoken word track that closes the album is one of the most engrossing that’s ever been recorded. But like the younger Jim White, this reviewer waited patiently for the jangling guitar and eerie lyrics to emerge. Nothing. Nada. That’s the thing about the troubadour- sometime’s there’s a story behind every song, and sometimes there’s no song at all. Like life itself.
In A Funny Little Cross to Bear, Jim White demonstrates that he is artist come into his own, a storyteller as diverse as he is meandering. If Flannery O’Connor’s stories needed to have a soundtrack, this would be the one. We’re sure to hear a lot more from the poet in the future. Judging from the looks of it, his future is promising. Whether it’s as a stocking stuffer or a personal gift to oneself, this is an album worth having in the car or at home.
15 minutes of blessings indeed.
Jack Winn