POWDER BURNS—review

Posted on September 26, 2006 by Contributor

Artist: The Twilight Singers
Author: Ian Murphy

The Twilight Singers

POWDER BURNS"""review

"Nobody bleeds the way I do".

So sang Greg Dulli on the Twilight Singers' last album of original material"
2003's stunning "Blackberry Belle "" but the phrase could just as easily
apply to his latest opus. "Powder Burns" is the fourth release from the
former Afghan Whigs frontman's rotating collective" and it's an astonishing
piece of work. Less a rock album than a full"blown exorcism of personal
demons" "Powder Burns" unflinchingly chronicles Dulli's battle with drug
addiction and the devastation of his adopted hometown of New Orleans.

Opening track "Toward the Waves" lulls the listener with a minute of droning
synths before crashing into the bombastic tidal wave of "I'm Ready". This is
where Dulli comes on like a man possessed" howling "I'm ready" I'm ready"
I'm ready to love somebody" as a wall of jagged guitars buzz" crunch and
swirl around him. It's a good indicator of the album's overall sound. "Powder
Burns" is a sprawling" muscular record: it spans psychedelic guitar reverb
and gritty soul rhythms" tinkling piano and gospel choirs" electronic polish
and epic orchestration. Lushly produced by Dulli and Mike Napolitano " and
with guest vocals from Joseph Arthur and Ani DiFranco " it never shies away
from the allure of an anthemic" arena"sized rock chorus " there's none of
that less"is"more" lo"fi treatment for Dulli . But" far from sounding dated
or pompous" there's actually something bracing about his decision to paint
on such a big canvas.

From the sultry late"night melancholia of "Candy Cane Crawl " to the
morning"after recriminations of "There's Been an Accident "" Dulli never puts
a foot wrong. On the rapturous Beatles homage "Forty Dollars " " his voice a
leering" distorted snarl of predatory male sexuality " he lays his cards on
the table with "Love don't mean a thing" but 2am and a telephone ring "" and
its Outkast"quoting coda of "I'm just bein' honest " manages to sound both
defiant and apologetic. "My Time "Has Come"" seethes with the same
psychosexual rage and sneering machismo. "I Wish I Was " closes the album
with a muted Dixieland trumpet and a note of yearning elegy for the
Katrina"ravaged Big Easy" but not before the title track has described the
hell of cold turkey as a long hard look into the eye of the hurricane: "A
slow roulette" a sweet duet" I can't forget" I'm tryin '".

The thrill of Greg Dulli 's music" either with Afghan Whigs or Twilight
Singers " is that no matter how bleak his openly autobiographical confessions
get" he never sounds defeatist or resigned. His lyrics betray a
self"loathing death wish countered by a ravenous" almost bloodthirsty lust
for life and a fierce will to survive. You can easily picture him there"
bobbing and weaving like a prizefighter prepping himself for one last bloody
round. He's always in the gutter" clawing at salvation and bucking for a
divine state of grace that's just out of reach" and it's this constant
tension that makes his music such an exhilarating listen.

"Powder Burns " is the sound of a man lost in the dark" but kicking and
screaming his way towards the light. "I'm alive " it kinda took me by
surprise "" he sings on "There's Been an Accident ". We wouldn't have it any
other way" Greg .

"" Ian Murphy"

Filed under: archive