“She’s my favorite little pie on the windowsill…I heard one taste of you mama, would be any man’s fill,” sings John Fatum, his words dripping with with double entendre and come-hither flirtation as he channels the blues of his native Chicago in “The Little Pie Blues,” the opening track of his self-titled album out December 9th via Dala Records.
With his sophomore effort, Fatum has embraced his rock influences while keeping his feet firmly planted in the folk realm; through songs born from his extensive touring with his band The Rad Trads, he takes us on a creative journey of reflection via streamlined lyrical stories and porchfront-style sonic delights with thoughtfully hidden touches that pay homage to his current hometown, Brooklyn.
We experience the catharsis of an overdue farewell in dusty rambler “Good Luck Unto Ya,” the tender contemplation of observations made watching the highway stretch across the plains through tour van windows in “Ride On Nebraska,” and the swoon-worthy “Let’s Go Walking In The Moonlight,” a James Taylor-esque groovy duet which will surely be the last dance at all the weddings next spring. Folk-style social commentary prevails in the tongue-in-cheek swagger recounting the implosion of a kingdom in “Little King,” and in the Woody Guthrie-tinged fingerpicking call-to-action campfire flavor of “If We Call This Home.”
Amidst all of its wonderful attributes, my favorite thing about this album are the little hidden gems buried throughout. Body percussion—claps and leg slaps, little flourishes of sultry steel guitar, swampy harmonica tones, and even a bluesy trumpet mix beautifully with car horns, coughs, and friendly laughs, the ambient sounds of New York City. It’s a brilliant effort, one worthy of its self-title.
Purchase John Fatum: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/john-fatum/id1162554597
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