Gordy Quist,
Here Comes the Flood

Label: self-released
Released: 2007

(3 out of 5)

It's not often that an 18th century ship of whores proves perfect fodder for a song, but Gordy Quist somehow manages to make just such a story the unlikely centerpiece of his second solo album, Here Comes the Flood. "Lady Juliana" recalls an infamous English ship that transported more than 200 prostitutes to Australia in an effort to sate the restless convicts-turned-colonists. And Quist takes a novel approach to history by telling the story through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl condemned for petty theft and unfairly thrust among the licentious harlots. None of the other 10 songs can quite match its vibrancy, but Quist's strong vocals and a wonderfully warm analog production quality help make Here Comes the Flood a consistently enjoyable album. Look for more from this 2006 Kerrville New Folk winner when his Band of Heathens releases its studio debut—produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard—later this year.

Listen: "Rehab Facility," "Lady Juliana," "Unsleeping Eye," "Irene"

Buy: Lone Star Music, iTunes

July 14, 2007