J. Shogren & Shanghai'd
Album: God Bless These Crooked Little Songs
Label: Jaha!
Tracks: 13
Website: http://www.jshogren.com

This act is described as "pulp Americana, hard acoustic roots music from Wyoming", which as it turns out ain't a bad assessment. Selecting at random track 3, A Long Line, which pits an oriental-sounding old-timey banjo riff against a full-tilt punk charge rhythm and a pulpy wordless vocal chant, and yes, it's easy to get "shanghaied" off into strange climes.

So who is this J. Shogren then? Apparently he's a professor of applied philosophy by day (yeah, seriously!), who clearly has enormous fun with his night job too, purveying his own hard-driven original compositions with his super-tight band Shanghai'd. The package is a mite enigmatic about exactly who makes up Shanghai'd and/or Shipwrecked, which may or may not be two bands or one super-fluid lineup that's possibly a 4-man octet or 2-woman quartet - either way, they seem to sport two female vocalists, a darkvocal/darkerguitar man, and sundry other folks playing resonator, cello, bass, euphonium, trumpet, banjo, mandolin, lap steel, accordion and drumkit.

It may at times sound like the guys (and gals) are just enjoying getting off on their playing, but right in there's a real understanding of all manner of roots musics without ever sticking with any one sub-genre. I was a touch bemused at first, but by way less than halfway through the disc I was completely won over by the strength of Shogren's conviction and the conviction of his performance; for he's not a confused soul wandering wilfully and rough-shod across the landscapes of Americana, but someone who has a vision of how to interpret the roots traditions for a modern audience without either patronising or selling out.

He and the band can just as easily rock out tribal with raw untrammelled CCD ahead-beat (Boney Lemon Davis) or take a moment to relax (Place To Breathe); settle into a forlorn alt-country groove (Curry), or bring on a feisty Magic Band howl (Rolls Her Own could've come off the Safe As Milk sessions); come over all sultry and soulful (the Cooderesque groove of Broken Every Vow) or stomp thru the swamp (the Stones meet CCR on Stumble), or introduce us to the sinister, hauntingly charming Treetopper's Wife. Whereas after a reflective Exit In Flames sweeps us gracefully across the ballroom floor, the breakneck bonus track pushes us out into the night with a riotous klezmer take on Radiohead's Creepolka. The at times more than slightly weird juxtapositions of musical gestures from the wider arenas of blues, oldtime, C&W, rockabilly, vaudeville, mex-a-boogie (and everything else under the sun and beyond) can appear disconcerting, but very satisfying they prove, much in the way you'd experience with constant delight the twists and turns of inventiveness, creative recycling and serendipity in the music of the Holy Modal Rounders or mid-period Incredible String Band, say. While a distinctly happy-go-lucky freewheeling vibe pervades glorious tracks like Thief River Falls River Thief and the brilliantly titled, indescribable Pickled Pickles Panger Polka, both guaranteed to bring multiple chuckles to the visage.

But let's not forget - the musical chops are absolutely brilliant too (I might single out dobro maestro Ansel Foxely, but everyone's darned good!). There's a real vitality about these crooked little songs, so take me back down to that thar holding tank for another invigorating dip! Cos you can tell that I like this album rather much, and even tho' I now know what's a-comin', it brings fresh delights on each play.

David Kidman