Jonathan Vassar And The Speckled Bird “The Fire Next Time” EP (Triple Stamp, 2009)

Vassar’s everywhere.

For some reason I thought Vassar was big in Americana. Don’t know why, I just did. I thought he was one of those artists that had made it onto the Americana stage via stealth and expected to find loads about him when I did my research. He has a familiar name, which should ring more bells that it actually does, but I think I was getting mixed up with Phil Vassar, who is an entirely different type of singer. We all know about Richmond Fontaine, but does Willy Vluatin spring to mind? Well it will for those of you who list Americana in your hobbies on dating websites and maybe Jonathan Vassar will do too.

But it isn’t true. Yes, Vassar has been around for a while, but he’s still under the collective radar. Unless you live in Virginia that is.

The imagery on this album evokes traditional folk songs that are delivered with a modern contemporary approach. The obligatory banjo, mandolin and accordion are present but they’re accompanied by clarinet, cello and singing saw, which comes to the fore on ‘Match Made In Heaven’. Opener ‘Nearer My Father’s Wounded Side’ builds slowly with its repetitive acoustic guitar and harmonies whereas ‘San Jacinto’ and ‘Hole In The Ground’ demonstrates Vassar’s ability to produce a catchy tune or two, with some fine harmonising from Antonia Vassar.

Final track ‘You Do Too’ ambles along gently, with it’s leading clarinet, which wouldn’t be out of place in the soundtrack to ‘Once Upon A Time In America’, to bring the EP to a close.

Only 300 copies of this EP have been pressed, so if you want one, you’d better be quick.

Date review added:  Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Reviewer:  Phil Edwards
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Jonathan Vassar website