Prophet
's follow-up to
The Hurting Business
finds him in excellent form, still making American roots music but casting his net a little wider to bring in a few more influences. For example,
"Elouise"
kicks off with a rhythm straight out of
the Rolling Stones
'
"Sympathy for the Devil"
before evolving into something looser and less threatening, and
"Summertime Thing"
has the laid-back vibe of
the Young Rascals
"Groovin'"
welded to some funky wah-wah guitar influenced by
the Isley Brothers
. With a voice suggesting that he's training to be
Tom Waits
when he grows older and occasional lyrics (as in
"Run Primo Run"
) inspired by the vintage
Dylan
songbook (the Farfisa organ that recurs in the album only furthers the connection), there's a strong romantic streak running through his work, most evident in
"No Other Love"
and even the growing-older wisdom of
"Old Friends."
His songwriting continues to grow and his guitar skills (which he tends to hide under a bushel a little), never flashy or grabbing the spotlight, have become mature and sophisticated, a long way from his days in
Green on Red
. One of America's great underground artists,
's slowly blooming into a major figure. ~ Chris Nickson