Spencer Jo

Even though he is only 26 years old, Spencer Jo Burgess exudes an aura of someone with much more life experience. Maybe it’s his taste for single malt whiskeys. Maybe it’s his ability to take roots and folk standards and make them into something that at once straddles the wisdom-weary icons of yore and a more modern, youthful exuberance, where the world is still an oyster waiting to be shucked. Or maybe it’s because, even at his relatively ripe age, he talks with a sort of self-awareness that is usually the product of a couple more laps around the sun and a couple more bumps on the head.

“Here’s how I stand as a 26-year old man: I have no training in anything. I don’t know how to do anything, except music,” he candidly reveals on the patio of the Ship & Anchor. Ship Regulars revel around us for their party in the midday sun, girls swirling their drinks and sundresses, the boisterous chatter of the truly day-drunk buzzing happily over day tripping cruisers on the street behind us. At first, it might seem like he’s just selling himself short, chasing the dream like any other young musician. But his pedigree betrays him: already, he has a handful of releases under his belt, from the folk punk stylings of Rum Runner, to the age-old, now-anonymous, folk standards released under his Kitchen Chorus project, and now including his most current release, a split 10? of sorts, on which he plays with both the River Ramble and Mountain Jack. “I should be banking on it. The idea is that I could do this enough… I could live on what I’m doing, I could live on music.”

To be sure, for all his external confidence, Burgess never lets the reality of the situation hide too far behind the excitement of a burgeoning and increasingly sustainable music career. Above all, he is prepared for the long road ahead. “If I could just make a living at what I do — it’s hard work — that would be good for me,” he states, resolutely.

Burgess is fresh off his longest tour yet, a five-week cross-Canada road trip in support of the 10? that took him and the River Ramble as far east as Halifax. Though this is certainly not his first time on the road — he turned 20, for instance, in London, Ont., while on tour with Rum Runner — it was indeed the first time in which he was the leader of the troupe, a responsibility he shouldered with pride.

“It was different because I had a role to play… With Rum Runner, I was kind of along for the ride, I was young. This time, while Fire Next Time (the band with whom they toured) had a rapport with the people at every place we played, I was still representing myself. I had a role and I like to think I played it pretty well. It was nice to have a bit more responsibility on tour.”

Time and time again, this theme comes up: Burgess is no longer a punk kid just getting by, but a man almost full-grown. It’s a transition that happened gradually, but one that he welcomes whole-heartedly. In his mind, becoming a man and shouldering the responsibilities and realities a career in music demands comes hand-in-hand with making a living off music.

“In Canada and the Western world, we have this incredible luxury of not having to grow up,” he explains. “So, I just pushed it for as long as I could. The tour with Rum Runner when I turned 20 opened my eyes to it. Shortly after, we toured Europe and that put me in touch with myself. Over the next couple of years, I decided that it was time to stop fucking around.

“I think I’m just discovering it now… and there’s still some growing up I can do. But, at least, now I’m conscious of it.”

Spencer Jo & the River Ramble will release their 10? at the Palomino (Calgary) on October 26 and at Brixx (Edmonton) on October 27.
--Sebastian Buzzalino - BeatRoute

Even though he is only 26 years old, Spencer Jo Burgess exudes an aura of someone with much more life experience. Maybe it’s his taste for single malt whiskeys. Maybe it’s his ability to take roots and folk standards and make them into something that at once straddles the wisdom-weary icons of yore and a more modern, youthful exuberance, where the world is still an oyster waiting to be shucked. Or maybe it’s because, even at his relatively ripe age, he talks with a sort of self-awareness that is usually the product of a couple more laps around the sun and a couple more bumps on the head.

“Here’s how I stand as a 26-year old man: I have no training in anything. I don’t know how to do anything, except music,” he candidly reveals on the patio of the Ship & Anchor. Ship Regulars revel around us for their party in the midday sun, girls swirling their drinks and sundresses, the boisterous chatter of the truly day-drunk buzzing happily over day tripping cruisers on the street behind us. At first, it might seem like he’s just selling himself short, chasing the dream like any other young musician. But his pedigree betrays him: already, he has a handful of releases under his belt, from the folk punk stylings of Rum Runner, to the age-old, now-anonymous, folk standards released under his Kitchen Chorus project, and now including his most current release, a split 10? of sorts, on which he plays with both the River Ramble and Mountain Jack. “I should be banking on it. The idea is that I could do this enough… I could live on what I’m doing, I could live on music.”

To be sure, for all his external confidence, Burgess never lets the reality of the situation hide too far behind the excitement of a burgeoning and increasingly sustainable music career. Above all, he is prepared for the long road ahead. “If I could just make a living at what I do — it’s hard work — that would be good for me,” he states, resolutely.

Burgess is fresh off his longest tour yet, a five-week cross-Canada road trip in support of the 10? that took him and the River Ramble as far east as Halifax. Though this is certainly not his first time on the road — he turned 20, for instance, in London, Ont., while on tour with Rum Runner — it was indeed the first time in which he was the leader of the troupe, a responsibility he shouldered with pride.

“It was different because I had a role to play… With Rum Runner, I was kind of along for the ride, I was young. This time, while Fire Next Time (the band with whom they toured) had a rapport with the people at every place we played, I was still representing myself. I had a role and I like to think I played it pretty well. It was nice to have a bit more responsibility on tour.”

Time and time again, this theme comes up: Burgess is no longer a punk kid just getting by, but a man almost full-grown. It’s a transition that happened gradually, but one that he welcomes whole-heartedly. In his mind, becoming a man and shouldering the responsibilities and realities a career in music demands comes hand-in-hand with making a living off music.

“In Canada and the Western world, we have this incredible luxury of not having to grow up,” he explains. “So, I just pushed it for as long as I could. The tour with Rum Runner when I turned 20 opened my eyes to it. Shortly after, we toured Europe and that put me in touch with myself. Over the next couple of years, I decided that it was time to stop fucking around.

“I think I’m just discovering it now… and there’s still some growing up I can do. But, at least, now I’m conscious of it.”

Spencer Jo & the River Ramble will release their 10? at the Palomino (Calgary) on October 26 and at Brixx (Edmonton) on October 27.
--Sebastian Buzzalino - BeatRoute

It'll be a busy night down at the Black Dog this Wednesday. Not only are Joe Vickers and Spencer Jo releasing The Kitchen Chorus Songbook, but Vickers—best known as the man behind Audio/Rocketry—will also release a solo album entitled Valley Home, about his hometown Drumheller. Vickers and Jo took the time to outline their musical histories.

First Album
Joe Vickers: Green Day, Dookie. My sister and I spent a lot of time listening to this album in the '90s. Being my first album, I remember the excitement and novelty of staring at the cover artwork and reading the liner notes on multiple occasions.
Spencer Jo: The first album I ever bought was Rap Traxx 3 (1989). Found it in a bin of tapes at a neighbourhood garage sale. It was a dope mix. De La Soul, Beastie Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Young MC, etc. Best 25 cents I ever spent.

First Concert
JV: My parents took me to a Celine Dion concert when I was a kid. Beauty and the Beast era, I believe.
SJ: Ma tells me she took me, as an infant, to a Garth Brooks show.

Last album
JV: I just purchased Trampled by Turtles' Palomino. I absolutely fell in love with this album over the summer and it currently ranks among my top favourites.
SJ: Today, I picked up Don't Pray by No River. It's drinkin' fightin' cryin' country music.

Last concert
JV: The last concert I saw was at the Masonic Hall in Drayton Valley where I was playing with a couple local bands. Coincidentally, this hall was the first venue I ever played with Audio/Rocketry and it was exciting and inspiring to see that the town's local music community is just as active as it was five years ago.
SJ: Mariachi El Bronx recently did a surprise show at a little Calgary pub called Broken City. It was mental.

Favourite album
JV: Emotionalism by the Avett Brothers. While I'm a huge fan of their other albums, these songs were my introduction to the band and I always seem to revert back to this album for that particular reason. I love the clever lyrics, immaculate vocal harmonies, and catchy melodies. I recommend this album to everyone.
SJ: It's one of five Tom Waits albums, depending on my mood: Closing Time, Nighthawks at the Diner, Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs or Bone Machine.

Musical guilty pleasure
JV: Rod Stewart ... I saw him perform live in Edmonton last year. I've never seen so many screaming middle-aged women.
SJ: Rap Traxx 3
--Bryan Birtles - VUE Weekly

It'll be a busy night down at the Black Dog this Wednesday. Not only are Joe Vickers and Spencer Jo releasing The Kitchen Chorus Songbook, but Vickers—best known as the man behind Audio/Rocketry—will also release a solo album entitled Valley Home, about his hometown Drumheller. Vickers and Jo took the time to outline their musical histories.

First Album
Joe Vickers: Green Day, Dookie. My sister and I spent a lot of time listening to this album in the '90s. Being my first album, I remember the excitement and novelty of staring at the cover artwork and reading the liner notes on multiple occasions.
Spencer Jo: The first album I ever bought was Rap Traxx 3 (1989). Found it in a bin of tapes at a neighbourhood garage sale. It was a dope mix. De La Soul, Beastie Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Young MC, etc. Best 25 cents I ever spent.

First Concert
JV: My parents took me to a Celine Dion concert when I was a kid. Beauty and the Beast era, I believe.
SJ: Ma tells me she took me, as an infant, to a Garth Brooks show.

Last album
JV: I just purchased Trampled by Turtles' Palomino. I absolutely fell in love with this album over the summer and it currently ranks among my top favourites.
SJ: Today, I picked up Don't Pray by No River. It's drinkin' fightin' cryin' country music.

Last concert
JV: The last concert I saw was at the Masonic Hall in Drayton Valley where I was playing with a couple local bands. Coincidentally, this hall was the first venue I ever played with Audio/Rocketry and it was exciting and inspiring to see that the town's local music community is just as active as it was five years ago.
SJ: Mariachi El Bronx recently did a surprise show at a little Calgary pub called Broken City. It was mental.

Favourite album
JV: Emotionalism by the Avett Brothers. While I'm a huge fan of their other albums, these songs were my introduction to the band and I always seem to revert back to this album for that particular reason. I love the clever lyrics, immaculate vocal harmonies, and catchy melodies. I recommend this album to everyone.
SJ: It's one of five Tom Waits albums, depending on my mood: Closing Time, Nighthawks at the Diner, Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs or Bone Machine.

Musical guilty pleasure
JV: Rod Stewart ... I saw him perform live in Edmonton last year. I've never seen so many screaming middle-aged women.
SJ: Rap Traxx 3
--Bryan Birtles - VUE Weekly

“Dreams change. It can be a good thing. Be open to it. There’s big a difference between failing and changing direction,” says Spencer Jo Burgess.
“When I first picked up a guitar, I wanted to be a rock and roll legend. Cover of the Rolling Stone and shit. As I grew, I became disillusioned with celebrity culture to the point where I resent it. I don’t wanna be a star anymore. In fact, I can’t believe I ever did. I just wanna make music for people who wanna listen, tour around, cut records, be happy. I took a turn at the crossroads and I love the path I’ve chosen.”
I knew about Spencer Jo before I actually met him. I heard that he was an amazing musician and a really cool guy. Turns out, the rumours are true. Spencer Jo is not your regular rock star. He is more than that, he is a person, a down-to-earth, good natured person. He has a kind heart and a worthwhile sense of humour.
Spencer Jo grew up in Calgary and for his 13th birthday, he received a $60 guitar from his dad. The rest of the story is more or less history, as after his 13th birthday, Spencer Jo began the transition into the man he is today. Spencer Jo’s first guitar changed his life. It proved to be a gateway drug into the world of music and Spencer Jo was hooked.
When he was 16, he began to play shows with the band, The Falling Pianos. In 2006, Spencer Jo became a member of the folk/punk band, Rum Runner. With Rum Runner, Spencer Jo recorded the album What’s the Music Mean To You? Spencer Jo has also recorded his own solo album, My Old Home. Spencer Jo is obviously a vital part of the Calgary music scene.
“This year, the City of Calgary asked me to do a youth song writing workshop in July. I’m going to be teaching kids who are clinging just as tightly to music as I was at their age,” says Spencer Jo.
“I see it as a chance to give back and to share the knowledge that gave me direction and purpose. If I pull it off, it’ll be my proudest moment.”
It is obvious that Spencer Jo has a heart of gold. He is giving back to his community and is stoked on it. Spencer Jo is a perfect role model for youth hoping to become musicians. Youth have the chance to really learn a lot from him. The song writing workshop will allow Spencer Jo to encourage youth to take the initiative to follow their dreams.
“For people like me, it’s a means to survival,” Spencer Jo says about the importance of following your dreams. “If you’ve got a dream and you’re following it, you’ve got something to live for, something to feel confident about, something that’s your own. If, for no other reason, consider this: you’ll never be bored if you’re dreaming.”
A lot of other cool things are going on for Spencer Jo. He just wrapped up a tour with The Mandrill (an accordion player from Spencer Jo’s youth) along with Rusty and Kyle Mattson. Spencer Jo will also be releasing another album soon that will consist mostly of folk inspired songs. The new album will come complete with lyrics and chords, because as Spencer Jo likes to believe, music is for sharing.
“Dreams sometimes seem to break down, fall apart and fail. It’s during these times that our true strength can be measured. Having a dream is one thing. Following it means you need to fight for it. You need to wipe the dust off your clothes, the blood off your face, get up and continue on,” says Spencer Jo.
I heard about Spencer Jo before I met him and I can honestly say that he is one of the most genuine people I know. He is type of person that youth can really look up to, and he is the kind of person that everyone wants to hang out with, because he is just a regular, down-to-earth dude. He knows what it is like to follow his dreams. Heck, he is someone we can all look up to.
--Lace Senio - The Nugget

“Dreams change. It can be a good thing. Be open to it. There’s big a difference between failing and changing direction,” says Spencer Jo Burgess.
“When I first picked up a guitar, I wanted to be a rock and roll legend. Cover of the Rolling Stone and shit. As I grew, I became disillusioned with celebrity culture to the point where I resent it. I don’t wanna be a star anymore. In fact, I can’t believe I ever did. I just wanna make music for people who wanna listen, tour around, cut records, be happy. I took a turn at the crossroads and I love the path I’ve chosen.”
I knew about Spencer Jo before I actually met him. I heard that he was an amazing musician and a really cool guy. Turns out, the rumours are true. Spencer Jo is not your regular rock star. He is more than that, he is a person, a down-to-earth, good natured person. He has a kind heart and a worthwhile sense of humour.
Spencer Jo grew up in Calgary and for his 13th birthday, he received a $60 guitar from his dad. The rest of the story is more or less history, as after his 13th birthday, Spencer Jo began the transition into the man he is today. Spencer Jo’s first guitar changed his life. It proved to be a gateway drug into the world of music and Spencer Jo was hooked.
When he was 16, he began to play shows with the band, The Falling Pianos. In 2006, Spencer Jo became a member of the folk/punk band, Rum Runner. With Rum Runner, Spencer Jo recorded the album What’s the Music Mean To You? Spencer Jo has also recorded his own solo album, My Old Home. Spencer Jo is obviously a vital part of the Calgary music scene.
“This year, the City of Calgary asked me to do a youth song writing workshop in July. I’m going to be teaching kids who are clinging just as tightly to music as I was at their age,” says Spencer Jo.
“I see it as a chance to give back and to share the knowledge that gave me direction and purpose. If I pull it off, it’ll be my proudest moment.”
It is obvious that Spencer Jo has a heart of gold. He is giving back to his community and is stoked on it. Spencer Jo is a perfect role model for youth hoping to become musicians. Youth have the chance to really learn a lot from him. The song writing workshop will allow Spencer Jo to encourage youth to take the initiative to follow their dreams.
“For people like me, it’s a means to survival,” Spencer Jo says about the importance of following your dreams. “If you’ve got a dream and you’re following it, you’ve got something to live for, something to feel confident about, something that’s your own. If, for no other reason, consider this: you’ll never be bored if you’re dreaming.”
A lot of other cool things are going on for Spencer Jo. He just wrapped up a tour with The Mandrill (an accordion player from Spencer Jo’s youth) along with Rusty and Kyle Mattson. Spencer Jo will also be releasing another album soon that will consist mostly of folk inspired songs. The new album will come complete with lyrics and chords, because as Spencer Jo likes to believe, music is for sharing.
“Dreams sometimes seem to break down, fall apart and fail. It’s during these times that our true strength can be measured. Having a dream is one thing. Following it means you need to fight for it. You need to wipe the dust off your clothes, the blood off your face, get up and continue on,” says Spencer Jo.
I heard about Spencer Jo before I met him and I can honestly say that he is one of the most genuine people I know. He is type of person that youth can really look up to, and he is the kind of person that everyone wants to hang out with, because he is just a regular, down-to-earth dude. He knows what it is like to follow his dreams. Heck, he is someone we can all look up to.
--Lace Senio - The Nugget

For Edmonton musician Joe Vickers, folk music is an archaeological project. Separate from his usual role as frontman of folk-punk outfit Audio/Rocketry, his two most recent releases delve into the past, complementing each other as works anchored in history with an appreciation for the hardships of times gone by.

“To fully understand the present, I believe that you have to start at the origin and investigate into the past,” he says.

Vickers’ solo effort, Valley Home, is a comprehensive insight on the history of coal mining in his hometown of Drumheller. A project associated with the Drumheller Valley Mining Centennial, it’s heavily based on in-depth research and in-person interviews.

This is an ambitious project: Vickers even includes a 24-page booklet of archived images and stories behind the folk songs.

“For me, in terms of development in songwriting, it forced me to look outside of personal experiences, to write stories that are historic and real,” he explains. “I often found, when I was able to make a connection, whether it be with somebody who was sharing a story with me, the stories then came to life through our conversation, and I could sense their emotion behind each topic. That really allowed me to channel that into the musical medium.

“It’s something that I hope, for those that are familiar with the stories, they can reflect and reminisce about the past, and then for those who are unfamiliar with them, shed some light onto the history.”

In addition to Valley Home, Vickers is releasing Kitchen Chorus Songbook, a collaboration with Calgary’s Spencer Jo, whom he met while playing a house show. As Vickers finished his set in the kitchen, the two got to talking about old folk songs, eventually staying up all night playing for each other.

“We’ve played all over in our respective bands, and then we’d often think back to the way we met,” says Jo. “Eventually, it became a dialogue for a project that came to fruition just now.”
With this collection of old folk songs, the duo’s mission is, as Vickers says, “to raise awareness to this old wisdom that seems lost on much of our generation.”

“There’s a lot of wisdom and stories (in folk music) that we could be learning from that we’re neglecting,” Jo reflects. Vickers agrees, adding that he finds it important to share the songs that have inspired them, as preserving the stories is an essential part of the survival of folk music itself.

Kitchen Chorus also invites listeners to connect with the songs on a deeper level through the inclusion of a songbook. The booklet, with complete chords and lyrics, provides an opportunity to fully experience the folk songs on the album.

“You can just sing along, and you can play along, and that puts you way more in touch with the song than just hearing it,” says Jo. “I think learning the songs gains you a much closer personal perspective — I understand stories way better when I learn the song.”

“It’s important to us to share these songs,” Vickers adds. “Preserving the oral tradition is important when we live in a very disposable time.”
--Peggy Jankovic - The Gateway

For Edmonton musician Joe Vickers, folk music is an archaeological project. Separate from his usual role as frontman of folk-punk outfit Audio/Rocketry, his two most recent releases delve into the past, complementing each other as works anchored in history with an appreciation for the hardships of times gone by.

“To fully understand the present, I believe that you have to start at the origin and investigate into the past,” he says.

Vickers’ solo effort, Valley Home, is a comprehensive insight on the history of coal mining in his hometown of Drumheller. A project associated with the Drumheller Valley Mining Centennial, it’s heavily based on in-depth research and in-person interviews.

This is an ambitious project: Vickers even includes a 24-page booklet of archived images and stories behind the folk songs.

“For me, in terms of development in songwriting, it forced me to look outside of personal experiences, to write stories that are historic and real,” he explains. “I often found, when I was able to make a connection, whether it be with somebody who was sharing a story with me, the stories then came to life through our conversation, and I could sense their emotion behind each topic. That really allowed me to channel that into the musical medium.

“It’s something that I hope, for those that are familiar with the stories, they can reflect and reminisce about the past, and then for those who are unfamiliar with them, shed some light onto the history.”

In addition to Valley Home, Vickers is releasing Kitchen Chorus Songbook, a collaboration with Calgary’s Spencer Jo, whom he met while playing a house show. As Vickers finished his set in the kitchen, the two got to talking about old folk songs, eventually staying up all night playing for each other.

“We’ve played all over in our respective bands, and then we’d often think back to the way we met,” says Jo. “Eventually, it became a dialogue for a project that came to fruition just now.”
With this collection of old folk songs, the duo’s mission is, as Vickers says, “to raise awareness to this old wisdom that seems lost on much of our generation.”

“There’s a lot of wisdom and stories (in folk music) that we could be learning from that we’re neglecting,” Jo reflects. Vickers agrees, adding that he finds it important to share the songs that have inspired them, as preserving the stories is an essential part of the survival of folk music itself.

Kitchen Chorus also invites listeners to connect with the songs on a deeper level through the inclusion of a songbook. The booklet, with complete chords and lyrics, provides an opportunity to fully experience the folk songs on the album.

“You can just sing along, and you can play along, and that puts you way more in touch with the song than just hearing it,” says Jo. “I think learning the songs gains you a much closer personal perspective — I understand stories way better when I learn the song.”

“It’s important to us to share these songs,” Vickers adds. “Preserving the oral tradition is important when we live in a very disposable time.”
--Peggy Jankovic - The Gateway

Canadian artist Spencer Jo Burgess isn't interested in sugarcoating things. In fact, he's spent much of his musical life searching for sour truth and throwing the spotlight onto it. He's been in and out of punk bands since the age of 16, and the winding road has lead him to his current incarnation as a folk artist with a sometimes political, sometimes surreal edge that makes his social commentary poignant for anyone who listens. In My Old Home, we find a lyrical maturity that one expects from any veteran of an expository career in music tempered with a sensitivity that seems to empathize with the figures and subjects within each song.

Stark political statements come early with the opening track "Guantanamo Bay" and then soon after in "Babylon," both compositions that present an unveiled criticism of the so-called war on terror and its seemingly unrelated collateral effects on human lives. Glimpses of this same criticism come in the later track "Claustrophobic in Shanghai," with a pointedly lucid verse sandwiched between bizarre imagery: "Meanwhile in the west, a crazy Texan went to war/ Like a salesman, from door to bloody door/ And on his breaks, he'd fill his coffee mug with oil/ And quickly he'd get back to work to claim his dirty spoils."

Burgess isn't all politics, though; far from it. The rest of the CD is a combination of commentary on modern society and sentimentality directed at unnamed love. The former comes to the listener first in the suicide poem "Splat, Motherfucker," narrated from the point of view of a man plunging to his demise from the top of a building. There's a simple yet hypnotic guitar riff repeated behind the verses that punctuates the words and lends rhythm to them, and overall it's a piece that truly outdoes the typical angst-ridden, self-nullifying poetry one cringes from inside coffee shops in big cities and the small college towns that emulate them. "Shades of Red" provides an upbeat musical backdrop to the not-so cheery subject of a young man who kills his family and then himself, and the title track "My Old Home" exposes Burgess' roots in the seedy underbelly of urban society, giving the impression that given the choice he'd live on the wrong side of the tracks where at least one has a sense of what the real danger is.

"Lullaby" and "Let It Rain" are both unabashed songs of love—or, rather, songs that give the standard sense of some amatory loss—while "Jimmy + the Fat Cat" is a quickly paced, almost fun ballad telling of Jimmy the young junkie. Jimmy meets his demise by crossing his pusher who orders him to kill a young woman with whom he falls in love. He tries to get out of his indentured slavery but "the Fat Cat cut young Jimmy, cut him down to size."

Burgess' debut solo album takes a minute to appreciate. But then again, it really only does take a minute. His talent as an instrumentalist and lyricist are showcased in a way that keeps his music free of distracted bravado and long solos, ensuring his convictions remain at the center of attention. The marriage of punk and folk mixes elements of artistry and honesty after all, and Burgess completes this synthesis without disappointing.
--Jason Neubauer - Playback:stl

Canadian artist Spencer Jo Burgess isn't interested in sugarcoating things. In fact, he's spent much of his musical life searching for sour truth and throwing the spotlight onto it. He's been in and out of punk bands since the age of 16, and the winding road has lead him to his current incarnation as a folk artist with a sometimes political, sometimes surreal edge that makes his social commentary poignant for anyone who listens. In My Old Home, we find a lyrical maturity that one expects from any veteran of an expository career in music tempered with a sensitivity that seems to empathize with the figures and subjects within each song.

Stark political statements come early with the opening track "Guantanamo Bay" and then soon after in "Babylon," both compositions that present an unveiled criticism of the so-called war on terror and its seemingly unrelated collateral effects on human lives. Glimpses of this same criticism come in the later track "Claustrophobic in Shanghai," with a pointedly lucid verse sandwiched between bizarre imagery: "Meanwhile in the west, a crazy Texan went to war/ Like a salesman, from door to bloody door/ And on his breaks, he'd fill his coffee mug with oil/ And quickly he'd get back to work to claim his dirty spoils."

Burgess isn't all politics, though; far from it. The rest of the CD is a combination of commentary on modern society and sentimentality directed at unnamed love. The former comes to the listener first in the suicide poem "Splat, Motherfucker," narrated from the point of view of a man plunging to his demise from the top of a building. There's a simple yet hypnotic guitar riff repeated behind the verses that punctuates the words and lends rhythm to them, and overall it's a piece that truly outdoes the typical angst-ridden, self-nullifying poetry one cringes from inside coffee shops in big cities and the small college towns that emulate them. "Shades of Red" provides an upbeat musical backdrop to the not-so cheery subject of a young man who kills his family and then himself, and the title track "My Old Home" exposes Burgess' roots in the seedy underbelly of urban society, giving the impression that given the choice he'd live on the wrong side of the tracks where at least one has a sense of what the real danger is.

"Lullaby" and "Let It Rain" are both unabashed songs of love—or, rather, songs that give the standard sense of some amatory loss—while "Jimmy + the Fat Cat" is a quickly paced, almost fun ballad telling of Jimmy the young junkie. Jimmy meets his demise by crossing his pusher who orders him to kill a young woman with whom he falls in love. He tries to get out of his indentured slavery but "the Fat Cat cut young Jimmy, cut him down to size."

Burgess' debut solo album takes a minute to appreciate. But then again, it really only does take a minute. His talent as an instrumentalist and lyricist are showcased in a way that keeps his music free of distracted bravado and long solos, ensuring his convictions remain at the center of attention. The marriage of punk and folk mixes elements of artistry and honesty after all, and Burgess completes this synthesis without disappointing.
--Jason Neubauer - Playback:stl