Vic Chesnutt, North Star Deserter

reviewed by dave heaton

You can argue about the best songwriters, musicians, performer until the cows come home. Surely Vic Chesnutt is one of the most interesting. A poet and philosopher, probing the everyday and mystical, the dark and the light. A guitarist who uses the instrument to support the songs, but can occasionally tear off in multiple directions. A singer with an un-professional voice that can nonetheless soar, cut deep, touch. A songwriter with an immense catalogue of songs within him, recorded or not. A troubadour whose collaboration partners cross the pop-rock universes. A multi-faceted artist who will never make a ‘perfect’ album because what that album would be like is different for different listeners, depending on their preferences (his bleakest or funniest songs, slickest or roughest recordings, etc.)

North Star Deserter is described in the press release as Chesnutt’s best LP; looked at from a certain light, it might be. It captures the dark, strange and explosive sides of music, without letting the pretty or melody-focused sides slip away entirely. It’s unmistakably a result of its circumstances, of Chesnutt going to Montreal and collaborating with another crowd of bohemians, including Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band, Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, and others. They push some of his songs into freakouts that lunge at listeners suddenly; for others they shade his songs by singing along to choruses or adding strings and other instruments. And always there at the center of the storm is Chesnutt himself, with his own unique slant on the world, his dark wit and way of capturing awe at life. There are several thoroughly stunning songs here: “You Are Never Alone”, “Splendid”, “Over”, “Debriefing”. His voice, guitar and weird little melodies each shine strongly through an atmosphere that’s often heady, rich with sounds and ideas. It’s an epic, another fascinating entry in the Vic Chesnutt reservoir of songs.

{www.cstrecords.com}