Ato Records
2001
Rocket House
About This Album
Anyone who has the balls to combine turntable scratching and trip-hop beats with banjo playing on the same song -- and make it work -- as Chris Whitley does on the Middle Eastern-tinged "To Joy (Revolution of the Innocents)" deserves a collective bow-down to. This unorthodox, textured, and electronic-oriented album opener to Whitley's seventh studio effort, Rocket House, sets the stage for one of the best collections to drop in 2001. Whitley's husky, soulful voice smoothly roams through throaty lows and lofty falsettos in a single sweep and is captivating, to say the least. Meanwhile, all things synthesizer and programming -- keyboards, synth guitars, synth bass, electronic "abstractions" (according to the liner notes), jaw harp, drum machines, samples, and others -- coupled with "traditional" instruments -- guitars, drums, bass, and piano -- and some pretty avant-garde arrangements further launch Rocket House right into the sky. There is plenty to recommend on this impressive collection. "Say Goodbye" is an earnest and moving blues-rock number -- accented with turntable scratching and contemporary sound effects -- marked by Whitley's visceral vocal delivery and a haunting piano.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8)

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