Rocky Votolato will be performing several shows in the fall. For news and more visit Barsuk Records.
As the frontman of the band Waxwing, there was always something in Rocky Votolato’s voice wanting to be free of the cliché emo-punk that overshadowed it. More than anything, it seemed he just wanted to clear his throat and sing.
To this end, almost immediately after releasing Waxwing’s first album, Rocky put out a respectable solo effort. While it took four subsequent releases and seven years to get it right, with the help of a collaboration between Barsuk Records and Second Nature Recordings, in 2006 he released the acclaimed indie folk album Makers. Finally, the Rocky Votolato we’d been waiting for had come. The tenderness in his voice, the vulnerability of his songwriting—it was all there. He’d stripped down to the bare essentials and proved that what was left, away from the hollow screams and emo posturing, was intricate guitar work and a unique vulnerability.
Just a year later, also from Barsuk/Second Nature, comes Votolato’s latest album The Brag & Cuss. This is a full transformation. While it took years for him to master the acoustic singer/songwriter genre, it has taken only one album to bring back a full band and really show how far Rocky Votolato has come. There are moments when Votolato’s voice is reminiscent of Waxwing, but this time it refuses to be dominated. Driven in part by the masterful musicians backing him and the lyrical force of the album as a whole, Votolato shines.
There are threads of his many incarnations in The Brag & Cuss: the punk of Waxwing, the alt. country of his earlier solo efforts, the intimacy of Makers. But there is focus in this work—the musicians are accomplished, the songwriting is strong, and the effort is determined. With songs like “Whiskey Straight” and “Postcards from Kentucky”, the album speaks of loneliness and heartache familiar to a man on the road. “Jack Daniels in one hand / Basic Light in the other / my two best friends for so long that I can't even remember.” But while the words may be drenched in whiskey, the sound never falters. It drives headlong into the night, like a beat-up Ford with plenty of gas and a longing to get home before dawn.
Like many great albums, this one needs time. The layers unfold only after several repetitions. What comes across initially as just another alt. country album quickly establishes itself as an original, because this isn’t someone who visited Austin and jumped on the bandwagon of a passing fad; this is a true slice of indie country whose sound has been schooled on the classics. While I don’t imagine Votolato will force himself into the genre permanently, it’s clear he’s found a comfortable resting place.
For more information about Rocky Votolato and other artists visit Barsuk Records website.
