Description

 Loudon Wainwright III 10 Songs for the New Depression Proper Records 2010  PRPCD069

1. Times is Hard 
2. House 
3. On To Victory, Mr. Roosevelt 
4. Fear Itself 
5. The Panic Is On 
6. The Krugman Blues 
7. Halloween 2009 
8. Middle of the Night 
9. Cash For Clunkers 
10. Got a Ukelele 

After 40 years and two nominations, Loudon Wainwright III finally got his Grammy in 2010 with High, Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. And if this opportunistic follow-up doesnΓΓé¼Γäót match the breadth and depth of that whole-hearted tribute to one of countryΓΓé¼Γäós forgotten pioneers, it has its own bumptious charms.

Whatever interpretive strides Wainwright may have taken (2008ΓΓé¼Γäós Recovery even found him rejigging his own older stuff), 10 Songs for the New Depression is back to business as usual. This is Loudon Wainwright the rueful vaudevillian, his narrative voice familiar from decades of satirical whimsies and wry confessions.

The ostensible theme is 21st century recession, equated to the 1930s by some cute cover art and two songs from the earlier period. The American has never been a populist, though (his one real hit, 1972ΓΓé¼Γäós Dead Skunk, became a career embarrassment that maybe only the late-arriving Grammy has dispelled), and thereΓΓé¼Γäós no parallel here to Woody GuthrieΓΓé¼Γäós empathetic tramp through the Dust Bowl.

Far from it. ΓΓé¼┼ôConsider yourselves strung along,ΓΓé¼┬¥ Wainwright tells his listeners in Times Is Hard; ΓΓé¼┼ôAll I can do is play this song.ΓΓé¼┬¥ The songwriterΓΓé¼Γäós satirical inclinations have always played second fiddle to his introspection, and whether heΓΓé¼Γäós identifying with a newspaper columnistΓΓé¼Γäós angst (The Krugman Blues) or updating On to Victory, Mr Roosevelt with cynical irony, the economyΓΓé¼Γäós got him flummoxed.

Not that this isnΓΓé¼Γäót appealing. Partly itΓΓé¼Γäós the attack and colour Wainwright wrings from his acoustic guitar, drawing with imagination on a folksy musical palette every bit as old as himself. Partly itΓΓé¼Γäós the fables and punch lines he whittles out of his down-your-street observations.

But most of all itΓΓé¼Γäós the fact that a rankled Loudon Wainwright generates more energy than a small wind farm, and a good deal more humour.

ΓΓé¼┼ôYou know that job I always said that I hated?
Well yesterday they gave me the sack.
Loving your work is so damn overrated ΓΓé¼ΓÇ£
I sure wish to God I had that job back!ΓΓé¼┬¥

cd ripped by dBpoweramp

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