Jim Bryson
The Occasionals
Square Dog Records SD 2002


by William Michael Smith

What are we going to do with a brilliant songwriter who sings, "I'm not necessarily very smart"? That would be Jim Bryson and he may be the king of self-deprecation or self-effacement, but he is certainly smart. His new record, The Occasionals, proves it.

I never heard of Jim Bryson until a few weeks back, but is he ever on my radar now. Bryson and his punchy band of Canadian pickers ­ guitarist Ian Lefeuvre, bassist Darren Hore, pedal steel player Tom Thompson, and drummer Peter Vonalthen ­ have fashioned one interesting debut. Combining rock and subdued alt-country, The Occasionals struck a chord with me from the opening notes of the quiet "Without Piano." Bryson delivers this minimalist alt-country gem in a bittersweet voice that says "I'm a nice guy, but I'll end up hurtin' you, girl."

I delayed a few days
My bottled blues keep you away
And I will break your sweet heart
'Cause we're through in these parts

Bryson turns the band loose on the Son Volt-ish, twangy roots rocker, "Travelled By Land," and it's a joyous thing to hear. Lefeuvre's soaring, fluid guitar work stands out, all twang and growl, and the interplay with Thompson's cascading steel guitar adds to the wistful sentiments.

Things take a dark turn on the deliberate and brooding "26 Miles by Car," where Lefeuvre again demonstrates his virtuosity with some outer-spacy string-hammering guitar flourishes over Bryson's twangy chording. Bryson has that special emotive ability to write and sing a song that makes a listener think, "I've been there; that's me." This may not be a blues, but it is as blue as songs get.

With a hand like mine you'd be foldin'
Everything I got from you's been broken
And they're telling me now that it's not too far
Sign said 26 miles by car

These cold days I'll be shakin'
And everything I got now's for the takin'
I'm not very good in the matters of the heart
Guys like me we don't get too far

"Satellite" finds Bryson in that quiet, introspective mood again, the feeling underscored with a weepy steel guitar that puts the perfect punctuation to Bryson's angst. Bryson repeats "I'm not necessarily very smart" over and over again, but we know he is. This is a beautiful song with the coolness and clarity of a still Canadian winter night.

Bryson's band just blows the lid off on the anything-but-subtle rocker "Impaler." Lefeuvre just seems to top his previous performance song after song. If you like guitarists who seem to be able to just float while they are going crazy, this is a guitar player to put on your list of folks to look up in the future. He wails. And don't think the rest of the band can't keep up. Meanwhile, Bryson is mad at his significant other and he's not candy-coating it.

You told the press it was all in the past
And your friends in your past can kiss my ass

On "Lately," Bryson reverts to his angsty, quiet, alt-country persona and delivers another hurting steel guitar saga that delves the uncertain intricacies of love. The song comes with a delicate lyric, Bryson's how-sorry-for-me-can-I-get-you-to-feel vocal, pain-in-my-heart playing and a surprising vigorous instrumental tag that puts a very heady exclamation point on the performance.

The entire band composed "Soupy Sayles," a loud, jangly, big-beat pop-rocker with Tom Petty "You're Jammin' Me" overtones.

Get outta my way
I don't care what you say
Get off my back
You're givin' me a heart attack
In another year
Will I still find you here

Bryson closes with the brilliant "One Cigarette." This coming-from-a-dark-place song is delivered like a brooding Elvis Costello psychological ballad. While Lefeuvre fills the atmosphere with sparse sustained guitar notations Thompson's steel guitar lends a veneer of sadness and resignation to the whole effort that makes this song stand out on an album filled with great songs and performances.

Don't expect a penny from the teens
Oh, much like her folks she kinda dreams
One cigarette
Didn't seem like much of a threat
Call the fellows in to estimate
She's taken all that she can really take
And a pleasant past
If you think I'm done it will never last

The Occasionals is one of those debut albums that gives rise to the sophomore jinx theory because it's just so hard to top something this original and good. This is a smart, smart record that feels absolutely right. One wonders what Bryson and his band of occasionals will do to top it. I'll certainly be watching for their try.

* Get Jim Bryson's The Occasionals at www.milesofmusic.com or at www.jimbryson.org If you like roots rock and smart, sincere alt-country twangers, you can't go wrong with this one





Contact William Michael Smith at: wms-at-rockzilla.net

 
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