Dancing Under Water

Amazon.com
Rereleased in 1997, Freakwater's 1991 full-length debut shows a band that's enthralled by country's dark, dismal, and austere acoustic tradition, but one that's bold enough to forge a new dirt path. They aim right for life's tough questions, but most are left unresolved. Catherine Ann Irwin daringly commands you to "tell your God that he's a liar" on her own "Blood and Fire," then calls out for "His great wisdom" on the very next song, Leon Payne's "Selfishness in Man." Classics such as the crying "Rank Strangers," Bill Monroe's "Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake," and Merle Travis's "Dark as a Dungeon" perfectly mesh with Freakwater's bleak aesthetic. Irwin's originals discuss subjects like companionship-in-a-bottle and unfulfilled expectations, and with such weighty matters abound, a song about getting bombed over lost love (George Jones's "You're Still on My Mind") becomes the album's happiest song. Jon Spiegel's Dobro and pedal steel and John Rice's fiddle and mandolin accent the rusty-nail harmonies of Irwin and Janet Beveridge Bean and contribute to the far-away tone. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracks:

A Song You Could Cry For
Great Potential
Rank Strangers
Blood And Fire
Selfishness In Man
Fill My Thermos
You're Still On My Mind
Your Goddamn Mouth
Little Girl And The Dreadful Sanke
Scratches On The Door
Wild And Blue
Annabelle Lee
Dark As A Dungeon

Amazon.com

Rereleased in 1997, Freakwater's 1991 full-length debut shows a band that's enthralled by country's dark, dismal, and austere acoustic tradition, but one that's bold enough to forge a new dirt path. They aim right for life's tough questions, but most are left unresolved. Catherine Ann Irwin daringly commands you to "tell your God that he's a liar" on her own "Blood and Fire," then calls out for "His great wisdom" on the very next song, Leon Payne's "Selfishness in Man." Classics such as the crying "Rank Strangers," Bill Monroe's "Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake," and Merle Travis's "Dark as a Dungeon" perfectly mesh with Freakwater's bleak aesthetic. Irwin's originals discuss subjects like companionship-in-a-bottle and unfulfilled expectations, and with such weighty matters abound, a song about getting bombed over lost love (George Jones's "You're Still on My Mind") becomes the album's happiest song. Jon Spiegel's Dobro and pedal steel and John Rice's fiddle and mandolin accent the rusty-nail harmonies of Irwin and Janet Beveridge Bean and contribute to the far-away tone. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

I haven't stopped playing it!.......2001-03-29

I saw a stripped-down show at South by Southwest with Catherine Irwin on acoustic and vocals and David Gay on bass and was hooked. When I got home, I ordered this CD and haven't been able to stop listening. Having only been exposed to how rich the sound of an acoustic and bass sounded, I was scarcely prepared for the full band. Forget what you hear on TNN and CMT, this is how modern country should sound.

Epic.......2000-10-26

This album has changed my entire state of consciousness. I'm serious. GET THIS CD!!!

Masterstroke!.......2000-09-01

Songs about life--sometimes painful ones, but always with an eye toward revelation...that's what Freakwater is all about. These folks really know how to bring emotions to the forefront without being maudlin. Pay particular attention to "Scratches On The Door"--it's without question one of the scariest, and best executed, songs I've ever heard. "Wild And Blue" follows it, and provides a perfect respite, being a catchy but still poignant cajun-esque ballad. The dramatic tension of this album is perfect from beginning to end. Buy it. Trust me.