Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & Spyboy Jwan Boudreaux-The Golden Eagles – Slip Don’t Fall
Wild Heart Records
10 songs – time – 43:17
Big Chief Monk and his grandson Jwan, members of the Golden Eagles, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe from New Orleans, bring their New Orleans vibe. Guitarists Anders Osborne and JD Simo play and provide production. This record is mainly about rhythms, chanting and voodoo vibes. There isn’t much in the way of melody. Percussion, the guitars and keyboards by Robbie Crowell are the main thrust here. Big Chief Monk talk-sings, while Jwan only offers what you could call singing occasionally. They borrow bits and pieces of older New Orleans songs to intertwine with their originals.
Most of the songs are rambling excursions of percussion, unison chanting, ringing guitars and who knows what creating almost a dream state effect. New Orlean-isms are thrown around. Lots of “spyboys” and such.
“Spyboy” crunches down on you via heavy guitars and synths. “Slip Don’t Fall” has more of a traditional song form. Funky wah-wah guitar leads into it. It is infectious. Big Chief Monk provides the vocal on “Going Downtown” in his talk-sing manner. He sings along with a haunting answer vocal by Sierra Green accompanied by acoustic guitar and electric guitar on “Low Down Dirty Blues”. It includes an uncredited harmonica player.
The percussion heavy “Hey La Hey” includes spyboys and Jockamos. There is uncredited saxophone along with synths. Screaming guitars soar over the percussive melee. Mellow soul wah-wah guitar strolls through “As Good As It Sounds”, sounding like seventies soul music.
This energetic music is well suited for background for an alcohol infused Mardi Gras party. Some of the songs seem to melt into each other. Anders Osborne and JD Simo blend their guitars into the mix, weaving in and out. This is surely dance inducing music.
