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Even before the shrink wrap is off Selwyn Birchwood\u2019s third album, it\u2019s telegraphed that the package represents a more serious offering than what has come before. From its title to the photo of the steely-eyed guitarist, Living in a Burning House<\/i> establishes a vibe miles away from the youthful, smiling Birchwood of his 2014 major-label debut (Don\u2019t Call No Ambulance<\/i>) and the playful cartoon cover of 2017\u2019s Pick Your Poison<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Birchwood was no slouch when he first appeared on the scene. Bringing influences from outside the blues idiom, the Florida guitarist played with funky fire. But years of touring and recording have served to sharpen and refine his attack. More than \u201cjust\u201d an incendiary electric guitarist, Birchwood is a songwriter; as has been his practice from the start, on Living in a Burning House<\/i>, he writes all his own material.<\/p>\n
Backed by a core four-piece band that includes longtime collaborators horn player Regi Oliver and bassist Donald \u201cHuff\u201d Wright, Birchwood alternates between rhythm, conventional lead and lap steel guitar. And he changes up the vibe in a near-constant shifting of tone. He explodes out of the gate with \u201cI\u2019d Climb Mountains,\u201d rocks hard on the playful \u201cI Got Drunk, Laid and Stoned\u201d and combines funk and subtle reggae touches on the album\u2019s title track.<\/p>\n
The songs are solid, connected to the blues tradition but never constrained by it. Birchwood\u2019s approach seems to be to use the blues idiom as a springboard from which to launch his tunes, but his early immersion in rock lends a wide-screen accessibility to his work.<\/p>\n
Still, there\u2019s little about Selwyn Birchwood\u2019s style that will put off the more purist-leaning blues aficionados. His playing displays an understanding of the skill-meets-showmanship of legendary players like Buddy Guy, and a winking, cocksure sense of humor pervades his lyrical approach. To wit on the latter: \u201cYou Can\u2019t Steal My Shine\u201d features Birchwood declaring, \u201cYou can steal my wife, and I\u2019ll wish the best to ya both.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of Birchwood\u2019s lyrics adopt a first-person perspective. Thematically, the songs explore a range of emotions (\u201cRock Bottom,\u201d \u201cMy Happy Place\u201d) and life experiences (\u201c\u201dRevelation,\u201d \u201cSearching for my Tribe,\u201d \u201cMama Knows Best\u201d) that wouldn\u2019t be nearly as credible had they come from Birchwood a decade earlier.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s possible to listen past the lyrics and focus on the music. And doing that is richly rewarded: a highlight of the rock-solid band is Oliver\u2019s horn work. Layering multiple instruments \u2013 baritone, tenor and alto saxophones, piccolo flute \u2013 he\u2019s a rich and soulful one-man horn section.<\/p>\n
The album is full of subtle touches like the insistent (yet never overpowering nor distracting) wah-wah pedal work that enlivens \u201cSearching for My Tribe.\u201d And \u201cShe\u2019s a Dime\u201d works a New Orleans vibe into a tune reminiscent of the Temptations\u2019 1964 hit \u201cThe Way You Do The Things You Do.\u201d Elsewhere, Birchwood\u2019s glockenspiel adds wonderful, understated texture to the soaring \u201cOne More Time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now a decade into his recording career, with Living in a Burning House<\/i> the 35-year-old guitarist may have made his most fully-realized artistic statement to date. But it\u2019s clear, too, that in many ways he\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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