BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
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Nathan James - What I Believe
by Eric Lieberman
On Nathan James' new record, What I Believe, he asks in the song In The News Today, “Where can I find the truth, the soul, the love and the light?" Well, I am here to tell you right now that you can find "the truth, the soul, the love and the light" in every groove and every lyric of this extraordinary record from Oceanside, California's own international treasure, Nathan James.
The incredible honesty, sincerity and beauty of the eleven original compositions on this record basically emanate everything that is the polar opposite of the sordidness, pettiness and general bullshit that you will actually see in the news today.
This is where you come to get your soul cleansed, your heart made pure and your spirit rejuvenated from all the ugly animosity out there in the real world.
For those of you who are already familiar with Nathan James, you are well aware that he has been respected as one of the most authentic blues guitar players in the world during the past twenty years or so. He can play like anybody, from Blind Boy Fuller, Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red to Lonnie Johnson, T-Bone Walker, BB King and Magic Sam. He is as good as anyone else out there on the scene today. That's just a fact.
Spoiler alert, you won't hear any of that on this record, other than maybe just a hint of Magic Sam on the instrumental track Bonsai Sequoia. Nathan fully understands how essential "originality" is, and with this record he achieves a level of originality that is mind boggling to this writer. He achieves a level of song writing originality that is on par with the level of his guitar playing virtuosity on his previous releases, and if you ask anyone in the know, they will tell you that is a very, very high bar.
As an aspiring songwriter myself, I'm happy to just write a song with pretty good lyrics, a good groove and hopefully some emotional impact. I take it for granted that it's going to have similar chord changes and arrangements to some other blues, soul or gospel song, and I'm ok with that. So, what first blew my mind about Nathan's new record was how these songs are COMPLETELY ORIGINAL. The chord changes, the melodies and the arrangements are pretty much like nothing else I've ever heard before.
On this record Nathan only plays guitar like himself, nobody else, with some of the most beautiful, varied and textured guitar tones you're likely to hear on any record, in any musical genre. Nathan also uses Rafael Salmon on Hammond organ and piano, which adds a depth and soulfulness that can pretty much only come from a Hammond. Rafael plays it with so much taste and subtle beauty. The interplay between Nathan and Rafael throughout is probably worth the record itself. Check out the Wild Bill Davis sounding jazz/swing section on In The News Today….but oh there's so much more.
With this record, Nathan's lyrics seem to have reached the emotional level of a Neil Young or Tom Waits, and I surprisingly hear musical echoes of Waits' European gypsy ballads on Down The Road, with its haunting melodies, under-recorded vocals and beautiful violins. I say surprisingly because I know for a fact that Nathan does not even listen to Waits.
As for lyrical content, many of these songs (You Gotta Please Me, Is It Too Late, and Silent Treatment) deal with relationships between two people trying to work it out and save their love. While this might be the most common theme in music, Nathan delivers these ideas in his own fresh and very intimate way. Hell, he's not just bearing his soul to the girl in the song, he's doing it right in front of whoever cares to listen, and I know that ain't easy. Meanwhile, my personal favorite relationship song on this record is Trying To Get Along With Myself, which is obviously about the songwriter's relationship with himself, not always a happy one at that. Here Nathan confesses his "doubts and his fears holdin' him down" and "trying to pick himself up, but ain't got no luck" (talk about bearing one's soul in front of the world!), but ultimately, he resolves to "wake up and start a new day, wake up and shake hands, make new plans, and not be discouraged today." And that is "the truth, the soul, the love and the light" right there. In my book, that is the essence of the human condition, that keeps all of us going day after day, year after year, and eventually decade after decade, pursuing our passions, finding true love and real friendships, and maybe most importantly, striving to find our own better angels before we depart from this short journey we call life.
Which brings me to the final song on this album, the sad and beautiful, but inspirational country/soul ballad duet with Missy Anderson, When Tomorrow Comes. Nathan sings, "In the blink of an eye, everything can change, the life you thought you had, so quickly rearranged. Don't wait too long to start livin' your life, don't be no fool, stop that wastin' your time," and Missy adds, "All this world and its riches, to have and to hold, don't mean a thing if your heart is cold." Life is fragile, but it is also precious, and it can be beautiful if you realize that and make the most of it. Once again, "the truth, the soul, the love and the light." And with this song in particular, expect every fiber of every note, all culminating in Nathan's haunting baritone guitar, as the song and the album fade, to be as lush and beautiful as any music you are bound to ever hear.
Copyright 2022 BLUES JUNCTION Productions. All rights reserved.
BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
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