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American Songwriter Magazine If ever there was an album whose title perfectly matched it’s content, Mark Lemhouse’s second release is it. The Memphis-bred singer/songwriter made noise in 2002 with the blues-soaked Big Lonesome Radio, but his new disc rambles brazenly across the American roots spectrum. Here, Lemhouse pulls off the neat trick of sounding simultaneously casual and ambitious; as simple as his folk-based melodies are, there’s a precision hidden behind his deliciously cockeyed arrangements the banjo-driven Paper Sack could have come directly from Tom Waits’ recent songbook that helps him stand out from the rock-alt.country-touch-of-blues pack. Lyrically, Yard Sale tells stories of down-and-out characters living on Society’s fringes, sometimes with a wryly humorous tone (the astronaut-baiting Unofficial Ballad of Story Musgrave), sometimes solemn (I’m Worried, which turns Mississippi John Hurt’s happy-blues fingerpicking on its head). Even when the gruff-voiced Lemhouse shows his psychobilly wildman side (as on You’re a Bastard, a country number that references both David Bowie and Nirvana), there’s a studio-perfect quality to the recording that distances him from, say, the similarly eclectic Asylum Street Spankers. The sheer impressiveness of the album’s craftsmanship makes up for any deficit in spontaneity, and Lemhouse’s songwriting is direct, unpretentious, yet full of poetic detail. Sweeping in its stylistic scope and accessible without being slick, The Great American Yard Sale should introduce Lemhouse to a broader audience. |
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Blues Revue In 2003, Yellow Dog released its first album, a nifty debut from Oregon native Mark Lemhouse. Big Lonesome Radio was a throwback to North Mississippi Hill Country and Memphis blues, recorded in glorious low-fi. You’d think The Great American Yard Sale, like most second releases, would play it safe … You’d be wrong. Lemhouse has diversified tremendously with Yard Sale, in fact, if you listened to the two discs back to back, you’d be hard-pressed to say they were done by the same person. Banjo and electric lap steel join the instrumental cadre. Lemhouse wrote 10 of the dozen songs here; there’s still plenty of sly humor (The Unofficial Ballad of Story Musgrave, You’re a Bastard), but there are also serious, even angry, overtones (Scarlet, Paper Sack). Nearly every song, electric or acoustic, has a catchy melody. Minor 7th On Mark Lemhouse's second release on the Memphis-based Yellow Dog label this Oregon native proves that geography doesn't matter. With a voice like a blunt southern plow he rips through pure delta roots covering more terrain than you can accurately name. His arsenal of resonator and acoustic guitar, banjo, and an electric guitar full of grits and honey holds up like big old tools as he works 'em hard and true through beautiful songs like the opener, "Scarlet." She's rough and ready, and she says, "keep it comin' honey, we got a lifetime to go." His ensemble songs are dirty perfect, but you are drawn also to timeless acoustic numbers like "I'm Worried," with its John Hurt picking and a banjolin solo. With lyrics that fit like old shoes, he pulls you in like Tom Waits lost in Texas on "Salem." Then, for good measure, he ghosts a slight edge of Peter Green on the verse to "Oh Well" on the R. Davies cover, "Nothin' In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'bout That Girl." Echoes of Marty Robbins, Tony Joe White and Fred McDowell make this outing like a freakin' broke-down delta bus tour for fans of the Real Deal. The most atypical song on the disc is "The Unofficial Ballad of Story Musgrave" where he channels with 99.9% accuracy the spirit of John Prine on a song Prine himself would be jealous he didn't write. To top it off, he slathers on the gravy on the hilarious closer, "You're a Bastard." Not a purist, not a throwback, just someone you would never want to follow on stage. Pity the poor guy or gal who does when Lemhouse headlines the American Roots Festival in Turner, OR on October 22nd. There's not a clunker in the bunch on this commanding follow up to Lemhouse's much-praised debut "Big Lonesome Radio." © Steve Klingaman Blues Bytes Mark Lemhouse proves the sophomore jinx theory is just that --- a theory --- with his second release for Yellow Dog Records. The Great American Yard Sale is a breathtaking journey through a multitude of American roots music styles. While Lemhouse’s debut recording, the acclaimed Big Lonesome Radio, focused primarily on the blues, or his unique interpretation of several classic songs, Yard Sale features not only blues, but it branches out into other slices of Americana, with Lemhouse adding lap steel and banjo to his already formidable repertoire. Lemhouse also wrote 10 of the 12 tracks here, several of which reveal a dry sense of humor (“The Unofficial Ballad of Story Musgrave,” “The Queen of Easy Street,” and the hilarious closer, “You’re A Bastard”). It‘s not all fun and laughs, however. “Paper Sack” is a harrowing tale of addiction and you can feel the desperation and despair in “Salem.” The bleak “Never Me” features Lemhouse performing solo on banjo, and is a highlight of the disc, just one of many. While Lemhouse’s guitar work and his vocal talents are strong and would carry the disc alone, he really emerges here as a great songwriter. The closest thing I can compare his songs to is the work by the late Mississippi author Larry Brown (in fact, I listened to this disc while reading one of Brown‘s collections of stories). This disc, with all its pathos, edginess, and occasional humor, plays like a soundtrack to one of Brown’s stories. You’ll be hearing a lot more about The Great American Yard Sale, and Mark Lemhouse, in the near future – GRAHAM CLARKE Exclaim Magazine A modern day masterpiece... a dark delight that chugs along, redefining the blues on his terms. Don't try to figure out The Great American Yard Sale -- a little bit of everything, stylistically. Just enjoy it. – DEREK RUSSELL Radio Free Moscow Based in the blues but going way beyond it adds banjo, lap steel, & resonator guitar to strong lyrics and pushes the blues forward another notch. Add Lemhouse to the short list of guys like Chris Whitley, JJ Cale, John Hiatt & Tom Waits who are adding to the evolution of blues music. Memphis Flyer He’s tapping into that supreme power that lesser players can only dream about... Lemhouse strikes pure gold. – ANDRIA LISLE Smokey Mountain News At times resembles a coherent Bob Dylan and a lucid Tom Waits at others... where others customarily falter on their second release; Lemhouse steps up his game with a great American blues album. – JOE HOOTEN Blues Source A unique, roots plus artist. By "roots plus", I mean that one can tell where Lemhouse is coming from, but can't really guess what's coming next, lyrically or musically. That's a good thing. The Oregonian Takes the form to new and exciting places... it's among the freshest American roots music being played. – DON CAMPBELL Columbus Dispatch If these names mean anything to you — J.J. Cale, Chris Smither, Mississippi John Hurt — Lemhouse’s should also. Pop Matters Blues That Isn't Quite Blues Keep this name floating around in your head somewhere: Mark Lemhouse. The Oregon native went and learned the blues from some Memphis and Mississippi masters, and his 2003 debut, High Lonesome Radio, is a perfect framework of mixing rural blues with a classic feel (thanks to using old equipment and analog tape). Of course, just about every recording artist or band has to worry about the "sophomore slump". More often than not, the second album takes a nosedive for a very simple reason: After the artist/band spends years to prepare for its debut (and the long-term toil of blood, sweat and tears comes to fruition) there's less time to come up with a second effort that's just as strong. Scrambling to replicate the debut's success, most artists succumb to the pressure to reproduce a quality item on short notice. Lemhouse decided to combat that second-album jinx by throwing caution to the wind. On his newest release, The Great American Yard Sale, Lemhouse revamped his sound. The obvious blues domination of the debut is not there for this album. Oh, don't get me wrong, there's still blues to be had here. It's just there's more than blues that shares this musical palette. And it ain't bad. Take the leadoff track, "Scarlet". It opens with a banjo, runs to a pedal steel, and an acoustic guitar holds it all together in the background. And with its shuffle beat, it's not exactly chapter and verse out of the blues canon, but it still has the feeling, especially with the slide solo smack dab in the middle of it. These kinds of twists and turns are sprinkled throughout the album. The next track moves further away from blues, as "Paper Sack" is a slow dance number with the same instruments; it'll give you the urge to throw some hip swaying into the fray. All inclusively, Lemhouse's playing is professional and imaginative. His singing goes with the mood of each song, no obnoxiousness here, and his writing captures the imagination. That said, one of the two cover songs here, "Cluck Old Hen", is a simple blues jam that works. The two funniest original songs here are "The Unofficial Ballad of Story Musgrave" (about a wannabe astronaut) and the closer, "You're a Bastard" (not to be confused with Ian Hunter's "Bastard"). All this diversification will only enhance Mark Lemhouse's talent base and reputation. The fact he stretched his boundaries so soon was a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. Lemhouse is talented enough to inject blues in anything he tries without compromise. His musicianship is wide-ranging and if there was any justice in the music world, Mark Lemhouse would be a star along the lines of R.L. Burnside or a Dwight Yoakam (who, on some songs, he draws a favorable comparison). For now, he's still paying a few dues, but over time, he'll get that payback in spades. The Great American Yard Sale is a fine, fun album. - LOU FRIEDMAN |
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