Cheyenne "I Am Haunted, I Am Alive" (The Record Machine)
By Dave Schutz
Thursday. May 05, 12:31 AM
Wait… they didn’t have sneakers in 1865!

The term “sneaker folk” referenced in Cheyenne’s press sheet couldn’t have said it better. I Am Haunted, I Am Alive is casual, comfortable, and unimposing, much like the Trespassers William disc I recently panned. Cheyenne headman Beau Jennings’ story songs (many of which dip into antiquated themes like the Civil War) do have their own charm though, even if they usually lack the urgency or heart of the kind of folk that really sticks.

When Jennings does succeed, he hits hard. “I Learned About Drugs From a Textbook” follows with the lines “I learned about love from a class I took / I learned about you all right / I learned I should be getting out at night,” going on to outline other rattling admissions over a twisted pop piano line. But “Boats and Black Waves,” a rolling tale of resigned escape, is the album’s real gem. Jennings delivers the million-dollar line “And then I called up an old lover from a roadside telephone and said I was on my way to Mexico. She told me I was crazy and to never call again. I said ‘thank you, lover. That’s all I need to know,’” with a hint of Conor Oberst’s quaver. But on this tune, at least, Jennings exhibits a talent for storytelling closer to Dylan’s than the new neo-Dylan Oberst or anything else I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a shame his compelling moments are so fleeting, but perhaps they’re at least a sign of good things to come.
www.cheyennesongs.net
www.therecordmachine.net

Dave Schutz

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.