John Shirley and Jerry King - 2022 - Escape From Gravity

(43:56; Jerry King & John Shirley)

Track list:
1. Gravity Well 6:56
2. My Five Eyes 4:17
3. Woodsmoke 4:35
4. 10,000 Faces 2:43
5. Evil Is a Rose That Sings 4:05
6. Just Being Alive 4:28
7. A Poisoned Wheel 3:01
8. Pigzipper Unzipped 5:12
9. The Spider's Tale 3:31
10. God Is an Alien 5:08

Line-up:
John Shirley - voice
Jerry King - guitars, bass, brass
with:
Michele King - vocal harmonies
Dave Newhouse - accordion
Ian Beabout - flute
Pete Zolli - drums, bass
Julian Shirley - samples, harmonica
Chris Boros - mellotron
Walter Whitney - synthesizer
Sparky Carlson - effects
Ginger Marten - violin
Chad Wardwell - drums
Robert Vicente - guitars
Pete Prown - guitars
Jamie Bruhn - bass
Travis Plantico - drums


US author John Shirley and US artist Jerry King both have track records that go a bit back in time, with the former being an established author as well as the sometime lyrics writer for legendary US band Blue Oyster Cult, while the latter has created music for a number of different ventures over the past decade or so. Over the years this creative due have crafted and released three album together. "Escape From Gravity" is the most recent of these, and was self released back in 2022.

This is one of those albums where the words are very much in focus, and at least at some level this album reminds me ever so slightly about the material released by the brilliant vinyl only label Cadabra Records. But with a key difference. While the productions I know about from Cadabra Records to a much greater extent use soundscapes to emphasize and enhance the story told, where the music appear to be shaped to a lesser or greater extent to accommodate the words and the mood and atmosphere created by them, on this album the music rather supplement the words. Where the musical backing follows a defined style and orientation that fit the words narrated and spoken but not adjusting minor or major elements in the music itself to accommodate them.

Due to this we do get an album that doesn't really follow any specific form or orientation. The music of the songs is more minimalist in nature and often repetitive, as the function of the music is to apply a specific tone and backing for the words and narration of Shirley. Hence we get dark and brooding sound constellations with an otherworldly touch and tinge as well as sweet, vintage ventures into the Americana and Country tradition coexisting nicely here. With a couple of detours into psychedelic rock and garage rock along the way. Possibly with a little bit of a flirt with grunge combined with the pop/rock of a band like Garbage at the very end too.

It is the words and the voice of Shirley that is the important part of this production of course. The limelight is firmly placed on this part of the experience, and Shirley is a skilled narrator with a nice singing voice at hand too, although the latter isn't showcased all that much here. But for a calm, collected and still ominous delivery he is just as effective as when applying a more theatrical inspired mode of delivery. That this CD is (or perhaps was) sold alongside a book from the author that contains a story called "A Boy and His Shoggoth" may, perhaps, indicate a little bit about the types of stories and poems that are recited on this album as well I suspect. Or to put it that way: I rather suspect that this isn't an album to seek out if romance is your type of literature.

If narrated stories and recited poetry given a very varied musical backing is a type of creation you tend to enjoy, and you also have a tendency to enjoy words of a darker and more ominous general nature, then this is a CD you probably should try to seek out. Especially if you also tend to enjoy listening to a narrator that is just as skilled in storytelling and dramatic delivery as he is at reciting poetry.

Olav M. Björnsen, October 2024

Links:
https://cloudoverjupiter.bandcamp.com/
https://john-shirley.com/