Band of Heathens,
Live from Momo's

Label: Fat Caddy Records
Released: 2006

(4 out of 5)

Individually Brian Keane, Gordy Quist, Ed Jurdi, and Colin Brooks have won acclaim from the folk/country cognoscenti. A positive career building block, but no guarantee of future success — after all, that fickle audience is more likely to give sustained attention to a new coffee roast than another talented singer/songwriter. As individuals they are good; as the Band of Heathens they have a shot at greatness. Live from Momo's showcases the dynamic talents and vibrant personalities that have nurtured the foursome (plus bassist Seth Whitney) in their evolution from loosely-knit jam buddies into a true collective. There's no clear leader; instead, each principal takes turns presenting songs from his own catalog, with the others providing backing vocals and support on guitars, steel, and keyboard. What could be a songswap train wreck instead yields sometimes amazing results. Ed Jurdi's playful "Bumblebee" just may be my favorite song from the past year, while Gordy Quist's "Judas 'Scariot Blues" and Colin Brooks' "Hangin' Tree" serve as weightier counterpoints that reaffirm the Heathens' folk roots. Like the Band, whom this band honors with "Ain't No More Cane," the Heathens are a rich musical mélange of stunning harmonies and dizzying range. Only superstars can comprise supergroups, but the Band of Heathens prove that sometimes a group of top-notch specialists can capture similar magic.

Listen to: "Bumblebee," "Judas 'Scariot Blues," "Hangin' Tree," and "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon, iTunes

January 16, 2007