Jungle Jim Smith One Man Band – This Is Ghost Country
Electric Boogie Solutions
12 songs time – 41:13
Gritty and ballsy one man band doings from Australia via Jungle Jim Smith. His vocals vary from growls to some similarity to a croon. He accompanies himself with a cigar box or regular guitar, and whatever percussive set up he employs. For the most part, this is in your face energy infused music. You will definitely know he was here. It is all him right down to the songwriting. Without further ado…
He jumps right in with his distorted guitar tone set against thumping percussion complimenting his nicely rough vocal with “Death & Whiskey”. No let up on the intensity as he chugs right into the crunchy groove of “Lucky Me”. His throaty retort of “Somebody hold me down” resonates to your core. His persistent beats escort you from one song to another before you realize what has hit you. Next stop “Long Gone” with its’ gritty slide guitar. It is a welcome awakening.
More rugged slide on “Holy Roll Me”, where the phrase Ghost Country emanates. He slips into full blown hell bent slide guitar on the breakneck speed instrumental “Swampfoot Sally”. There is a touch of subtle wordless vocalizing. “Manifesto” eases up on the pace, but it wreaks of urgency. Crunch time resume, s with the riff and ready “3 Headed Dog”. The Jungle man lays down a strong bass line along with distorted guitar on “Tombstoned”.
For the lack of a better description, I would call the instrumental “Urban Safari” hard surf guitar music. The music and the wordless vocalizations sneakily borrow from The Spencer Davis Group’s “I’m A Man”. “Cruel Operator” is a bluesy boogie with the line-“Ain’t it cold in the middle where your heartbeat used to beat?”. “Ballad Of Little Hawk” meanders around slowly and spookily amongst slithering slide guitar. Things close out pretty much as they commenced, with the jaunty “Misery”.
The corny cliche can be true, sometimes less is more. The powerful grooves and rhythms make up for the lack of what you could call guitar solos. You don’t miss them. Lots of energy and thought went into this raw bundle of explosive music. Crank it up and blow the dust out of your speakers. You can thank me later.
