A moving statement of support for a great songwriter from his contemporaries
Jesse Malin may be one of those artists that can be characterised as a songwriter’s songwriter. Certainly, the list of his collaborators and admirers is a pretty long one. Malin has been playing since the 1980s, came to prominence in the 1990s with his band D Generation and launched his solo career in 2002 with “The Fine Art Of Self Destruction” and has since release a further 8 studio records and 2 live albums. He has also turned his hand to asking and is a DJ on Steve van Zandt’s Underground Garage. In May 2023, Malin suffered a spinal stroke which has left him unable to walk. Sweet Relief was set up to help fund his treatment and recovery and a group of Malin’s fellow musicians, many of whom he had collaborated with over the years got together to record “Silver Patron Saints: The Songs Of Jesse Malin” to raise money for Sweet Relief and at the same time show their love and admiration for the New York singer-songwriter.
Hearing the album, one of the first things this listener was struck by is the universality of Malin’s songwriting in that each of the artists’ versions of his songs sounds like it could have been one of their own. And it may well be that what listeners enjoy about the record will depend on how much they like the performer as a result.
The big names come out for Malin – Bruce Springsteen performs ‘She Don’t Love Me Now’, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong covers ‘Black Haired Girl’ and Lucinda Williams, herself a stroke victim, produces a glorious version of ‘Room 13’ with Elvis Costello taking the Malin part. Counting Crows’ take on ‘Oh Sheena’ is a joy.
On the folkier end of the spectrum, Rocky (Cait) O’Riordan wrings the emotion out of ‘Shane’, Malin’s tribute to the late Pogue, Shane McGowan. Similarly, The Walker Roaders joyous ‘St Mark’s Sunset’ puts the listener firmly in Southeast Manhattan despite the singers’ noticeably English accents.
New York and its people run through Malin’s songs and is well represented here. Dinosaur Jr turn in a delightful ‘Brooklyn’ as do Tommy Stinson and Ruby Stinson with ‘Riding On The Subway’. Ian Hunter and Alejandro Escovedo, each of whom have had their own health issues, show up for Malin. Escovedo’s ‘Meet Me At The End Of The World Again’ is another highlight of the album.
There are a few surprises too – Rancid tuns up the volume on ‘No Way Out’ and Gogol Bordello brings their trademark sound to ‘You Know It’s Dark When The Atheists Start To Pray’. Susanna Hoffs manages to make ‘High Lonesome’ sound like it had sprung organically from the LA music scene.
A couple of personal favourites are Spoon’s annexation of ‘The Way We Used To Roll’ which could have stepped off any of their records and the underrated Aaron Lee Tasjan’s ‘Shining Down’ with its breathy multi-tracked vocal and intimate delivery draws out the emotion of Malin’s autobiographical tale of family and mortality. Within the tribute is a special tribute as Alison Mosshart, the late Wayne Kramer, Tom Morello, Steven Van Zandt, Mike Watt and Joey C do Malin proud with a banger of a take on ‘Turn Up The Mains’.
“Silver Patron Saints” isn’t just a set of great performances from his friends of Malin’s songs but stands as a testament to the quality of his songwriting. At the time of writing it’s good to see that he’s been able to perform again (US TV This Morning) and that he will be appearing at fundraisers for the Sweet Relief Fund in New York in early December 2024 where he will be joined by Lucinda Williams, Jakob Dylan, J Mascis, Counting Crows, The Hold Steady and Alejandro Escovedo. Let’s wish him as speedy a recovery as possible.
Fabulous album. Highly recommended