Lee Harvey Osmond, Beautiful Scars (Latent Recordings)
Tom Wilson has worn many musical hats, rockabilly revivalist with the Florida Razors, alt rocker with Junkhouse, and folkie with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. In 2009 he along with the Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins, and the Skydiggers’ Josh Finlayson formed the psychedelic country outfit Lee Harvey Osmond. I must admit that this, their third release is my introduction to the group and I must say pretty good.
The album opens with the moody syncopated number Loser Without Your Love which sounds like Dr John Meets Tom Waits uptown with its dubby dark sound. We’re still in a Tom Waits groove with Blue Moon Drive with more Latin syncopation and some nice sax and vibraphone accents from Darcy Hepner and Michael Davidson. Another favourite track is Shake the Hand, with ultra-compressed percussion and an echo laden vocal giving it a dark swampy rockabilly feel.
Other standouts are Dreams Come and Go, a straight ahead folk number with a touch of Van Morrison soul, the slow-burner, Hey Hey Hey, with hushed vocals and tasty pedal steel guitar from Aaron Goldstein, and Black Spruce with it’s jazzy flute and guitar accents sounds a strange blend of Dire Straits and Jethro Tull but in a wonderful way.
Beautiful Scars is dark and moody, with fantastic musicianship and arrangements. I’m off to listen to it again but this time with the lights out and perhaps some candles burning.