Swinging That Rock ‘N’ Roll in the Midwest – Part 3Southerly

Southerly, the solo project of Krist Krueger (Dharmakaya) has re-released 2004’s Best Dressed and Expressionless on Fall Records. With atmospheric songs that meander across folk-rock-studded plains, we go north to find a comparison to Canada’s Tragically Hip. Direct, confrontational songs (“Melissa”) are coupled with narrative, playwright-like songs (“Choke”) much in the way the Hip did on Day for Night (review).

Following the albums prelude-like track (“Accidental One”), “Rise” adds to the theme of Midwest rock that swings. Campfire folk swaying on the instrumental opening bars gives way to the verses which feature Krueger’s grooving acoustic guitar fill walking down the scale, moving the song ahead past the swaying. This swinging groove doesn’t ever take over the song, but it unleashes a much bigger chorus with full-on stops that those swaying section never could’ve unbuckled on their own.

Elsewhere, Krueger’s guitar brings in those groove lines on “Harmony.” “Ceremony” is a New Orleans swamp jazz march with a bubblegum lyric melody while never losing Southerly’s main sound. “Goodbye” closes out the album with Jam Band rhythms.

However, like the Tragically Hip, Southerly doesn’t have to stay with any one groove per song. With a more complex compositional style, Southerly lands among the Guitar Rock (Atmospheric) artists not because this is Prog Rock. Rather, like the Tragically Hip, it is music with orchestral overtones. This section of the Spectrum signals the listener: “This is not straight-forward rock ‘n’ roll.” After all, the album features the four-act play of “Accidental.” While it’s not straight-ahead and while tempo/rhythm changes abound, nonetheless you’ll find your foot tapping before you drift off into the dark, rainy night of song.

Thanks to Southerly, Fall Records, and Dead Letter Records for the review copy.