Name: Brother Sinner & The Whale
Brand: Phelps, Kelly Joe
SKU: 26742873
Availability: OutOfStock

Brother Sinner & The Whale

Rating

Album: Brother Sinner & The Whale
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Talking to Jehova	More Info...
2)	Goodbye to Sorrow	More Info...
3)	Hope in the Lord to Provide	More Info...
4)	Pilgrim's Reach	More Info...
5)	Spit Me Outta the Whale	More Info...
6)	Sometimes a Drifter	More Info...
7)	Hard Time They Never Go Away	More Info...
8)	I've Been Converted	More Info...
9)	The Holy Spirit Flood	More Info...
10)	Down to the Praying Ground	More Info...
11)	Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehova	More Info...
12)	Brother Pilgrim	More Info...

Album: Brother Sinner & The Whale
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Talking to Jehova	More Info...
2)	Goodbye to Sorrow	More Info...
3)	Hope in the Lord to Provide	More Info...
4)	Pilgrim's Reach	More Info...
5)	Spit Me Outta the Whale	More Info...
6)	Sometimes a Drifter	More Info...
7)	Hard Time They Never Go Away	More Info...
8)	I've Been Converted	More Info...
9)	The Holy Spirit Flood	More Info...
10)	Down to the Praying Ground	More Info...
11)	Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehova	More Info...
12)	Brother Pilgrim	More Info...

Performer Notes

Personnel: Kelly Joe Phelps (vocals, guitar).
Audio Mixer: Steve Dawson .
Recording information: The Henhouse, Vancouver, B.C.
In 2009, guitarist and songwriter Kelly Joe Phelps pushed his own envelope with Western Bell, an all-instrumental, decidedly experimental record that has carved an iconoclastic niche in his catalog. Many thought it to be among his finest albums, and others felt it was too far outside the pale of his previous work to embrace. Their loss. Phelps then collaborated with songwriter Corinne West on the uneven Magnetic Skyline in 2010. After its subsequent tour, he took some time off before enlisting longtime friend, collaborator, and producer Steve Dawson to record Brother Sinner & the Whale. Recorded in mono with only his voice and guitar, the songs are -- mostly -- based on themes from the book of Jonah in the bible's Old Testament. Phelps has referenced and played old gospel songs throughout his career. In fact, there is a new reading of the traditional "I've Been Converted" which appeared on his debut album Lead Me On. But it's the originals, all rooted in country and blues gospel, that embrace with unflinching honesty a return to Phelps' evangelical roots, but he's older, wiser, repentant. His bottleneck slide playing and fingerpicking finesse are deft and fluid as ever. His writing is tight, full of solid melodies, beautiful couplets, biblical poetry, and lithe passages where lyrics and guitars blur and intertwine seamlessly. Check the slide blues opener "Talkin' to Jehova," where each sung line is trailed by intricate, steely fills that feed the next one. The weary "Hard Times They Never Go Away" reflects Doc Watson's ten-fingered folk-gospel style, but the lyrics and the instrumental interludes are pure Phelps, steeped in his brand of restless soul. His protagonist is out on the edge of the world, looking toward and longing for home. Speaking of instrumentals, there are two choice ones here: the gritty slide blues "Spit Me Outta the Whale," and the National Steel guitar-fueled closer, "Brother Pilgrim." The latter showcases his dazzling fingerstyle playing. No matter your spiritual beliefs, it's difficult to fault Phelps for such a warm, inviting, and brave recording. If conviction and quality are the measure of a songwriter and musician, the songs and performances on Brother Sinner & the Whale are the very measure of both. ~ Thom Jurek

Professional Reviews

Mojo (Publisher) (p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Dark, edgy, yet full of light and hope, BROTHER SINNER...is dazzling, moving too, and bordering on perfection."