A fine journey into the cosmic gospel world of Morgan Geer.
There is a bizarre Venn diagram as part of the album art for the new collection from Drunken Prayer. In the middle of the graphic are Drunken Prayer fed by Heaven, Hell, Appalachia and the Delta. That’s all you need to know about this excellent collection of cosmic americana gospel.
Drunken Prayer is fundamentally singer-songwriter Morgan Geer. Geer met Tom Waits in Northern California, and a discussion about the relevance of gospel led to Geer forming the band. The name – well, it’s not too difficult to fathom the origin. Joined on this collection by Drive By Truckers bassist Bobby Matt Patton, they have got together to produce something different, challenging, with roots in the fiery churches of the deep south. Recorded at Patton’s Dial Back Sound Studio in Water Valley, Mississippi, the whole set is dripping in delta blues and southern rock.
Previous albums “Cordelia Elsewhere” and “The Name Of The Ghost Is Home” were critically well-received. Both are musically reserved compared with this latest platter. The album begins with a horn-infused, brooding, soulful track, ‘Selfishness of Man’. The slow-building nature of the song may give you the feeling of an Otis Redding song. As it builds, it almost drops down to a whisper before the crescendo ending.
The swagger of ‘Just A Closer Walk With Thee’ is followed by the guitar-led ‘When They Ring Them Golden Bells’. You will get a feeling of the congregation’s voices swelling and arms raising to the sky. It’s joyful stuff. “Can’t you hear the angels singing / Can’t you hear the bells are ringing” sings Geer with that gravelly voice of his. You can feel the happiness in his voice, and he even throws in a little laugh that carries the lyrics along.
‘Rock of Ages’ takes you right into the delta and leaves you there wondering how you arrived. Essentially, a song about death, and it never sounded so good. Trust in Geer, the subject of the song has seen the Rock of Ages, Jacob’s Ladder, then crossed the River Jordan, and they are homeward bound. The middle guitar section is marvellous.
Although the subjects are deep, death, and redemption, there is that sense that it won’t be the end, and there is no rush to get there. More biblical references are thrown in with ‘Ezekiel Saw The Wheel’. The wheel of time keeps turning, a small one for fate and the other for the grace of God. Even if you are a non atheist or an agnostic, you can enjoy yourself before the inevitable—the song drives along at speed with an organ backing, joined by a distinctly country guitar.
The concluding tune is ‘Thy Burden is Greater Than Mine’ and borders on an old-time country song reimagined for today. Simple guitar and fiddle render it a sober end to this encounter with cosmic gospel, just like Marc Cohn, as he was walking in Memphis when asked, “Tell me, are you a Christian child?”, you would shout out, “ Ma’am, I am tonight.”
Buy it, play it loud, play it in church or build your church at home.
