Comments
Damien Jurado
Caught in the Trees
Damien Jurado’s CD, Caught in the Trees, is great if you enjoy wallowing in life’s muck and mire: its two main themes are infidelity and death. Cheating is addressed with “Sheets”, as a husband sadly realizes he shares bed sheets with his wife’s lover, while the unromantic side of adultery is highlighted during “Dimes”, where warm candlelight is replaced by harsh gas station illumination to avoid eyes of inquiring minds. Death is considered with a track called “Caskets”, and then sarcastically suggested as a viable option when Jurado sings, “You look like you’d be better dead” during “Coats of Ice”. Most Jurado songs feature simple guitar strum patterns, although both “Last Rights” and “Paper Kite” each add string arrangements. Jurado also rocks out a little more than usual, yet never drowns out his soft, sad voice. Like a kite caught in a tall tree, Jurado’s view of the world is pretty hopeless. [Secretly Canadian] Dan Macintosh
This album review was not printed in the November/December issue (#134) of HM Magazine, and thus is an online exclusive. Order the print version of this issue online or find this issue on newsstands. If you're a subscriber, you get a free online/digital subscription with your print subscription. You can purchase a single online/digital edition (which includes access to back issues) for only $1.99. A one-year digital-only subscription can be had for only $6.
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