'Gulf Coast Museum' is the second long player from Shinyribs, AKA Kevin Russell, who is also known as the front man of Austin, Texas band The Gourds.
Kevin started Shinyribs in 2006 as an additional outlet for his stockpile of songs, and this has now developed into Shinyribs the band, featuring Keith Langford on drums, Jeff Brown on bass, and Winfield Cheek on keyboards. Kevin himself plays guitar, mandolin and ukulele.
There are nine tracks on the album, which all fall within the American roots music genre. Initially, I thought that this album would sound like a thousand others, but there were a few musical surprises for me, and lyrically, Shinyribs can be a delight, one minute comical, the next completely abstract, and this adds to the bands appeal.
The opening track 'Sweeter Than The Scars' starts off pretty well within the country music genre, but the lyrics can be quite touching in respect of thoughts of times past and opportunities missed: - “Dreams are about the future, songs about the past.
Sometimes it takes a suture, to make the feeling last. To make the feeling last” Some of the lyrical imagery is interesting with tears being “like toys in a trash bag.”, and as a start to the album, this certainly immerses the listener in Shinyribs' world.
Where I found the album deviated from a lot of American roots albums was on the track 'Sweet Potato', which comes across as a soul styled track, which the publicity blurb states “sounds like Prince being backed by The Band.” That certainly isn't too far from the truth, Kevin's vocals soar on this one, and the beauty of the track is such that initially you fail to notice the abstract lyrical comparisons: - “The cowboy talks like an antique phone, The cowboy walks like a bag o' bones/ That cowboy dreams of a lovely girl. To heal his wounds and his soul as well.”
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However, the track that really did it for me, was a searing, achingly tender version of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 'If You Don't Know Me By Now', which was originally written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who as well as songwriting, formed the Philadelphia International record label and were responsible for the mega hit 'Me and Mrs. Jones'. Here, the song is performed as a ukulele version, with Kevin being assisted on vocals by Brandy Zdan. This provides a perfect conclusion to the album.
Overall, Shinyribs have produced an unusual album, and one that may certainly strike a resonance with fans of American alternative, and slightly off the wall music. I definitely feel that any album that can reference “Diamond rings and petticoats/ Burlap bags and billy goats/ Creamy corns and sausages, gravy” to be worth more detailed investigation.
listen to Shinyribs at Bandcamp
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