Sunday, November 01, 2009
A+E, Music, Reviews

Vic Chesnutt

“AT THE CUT”  (CONSTELLATION)

It’s been a long while since Athens’ Vic Chesnutt was the up-and-coming singer-songwriter with a buzz loud enough to entice the likes of R.E.M., Garbage, Cracker, Live and (most incongruously) Madonna to cover his music on 1996’s “Sweet Relief II.” Since then, he’s skidded through a handful of labels, from majors to large indies to tiny, scrappy imprints for whom the word “marketing” is not in the vocabulary. Regardless, he’s generally maintained his idiosyncratic integrity and anti-folk approach, spinning somber, often oblique tales with a cracked voice and ragtag acoustic guitar, neither geared for crossover consumption.

  Chesnutt’s 2007 album “North Star Deserter” joined him with members of Montreal’s Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto and Bruce Cawdron of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The results were so impressive that most of the same musicians assemble for this follow-up. It’s an impressive collection, and arguably one of Chesnutt’s finest efforts, as the contrabass and violin bring a spooky ambience that perfectly echoes the typically downbeat lyrics.

  Rhymes and conformist song structures aren’t part of Chesnutt’s M.O., but these dark, wordy ruminations should appeal to those already in his small yet fervent cult. The protagonist of “Flirted With You All My Life” is not some sweet young thing, but death, a topic addressed directly or on the periphery of these songs. This is music for reflection and contemplation, performed by sympathetic musicians locked onto Chesnutt’s under-the-radar wavelength and tuned into his unconventional but frequently moving ambiance. 3 STARS—Hal Horowitz