James Yorkston Roaring The Gospel by: Tom Bradbury Mon:03-Sep-07 Label: Domino Year: 2007 WB rating 67 out of 100

There is something about the essence of folk music that few other musical traditions can equal – the sense of history, time and place, of stories and themes that span the generations yet remain relevant. This sense is always prevalent in James Yorkston’s work, and his new album, Roaring The Gospel, is no different. It doesn’t quite sneak its way into your mind the way his previous album, The Year Of The Leopard does, although it is most definitely a grower. On this album Yorkston is even more detached, and as a result Roaring The Gospel leans heavily on his charm.

James Yorkston is not really much of a melodic songwriter. Instead he relies more upon the soothing sound of his voice and the dreamy thoughtfulness of his lyrics – which have their own peculiar way of commanding your attention. Often Yorkston sounds as if he were reading extracts from his memoirs while under a heavy state of intoxication – not the gregarious type but rather the reflective. As such it is easy to imagine the singer/songwriter cradling a hip-flask in a field, mulling over his decisions and actions. Like his last album, Year of the Leopard, Roaring The Gospel sings on the subject of drinking, the traditional, ‘Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk’ enunciating this: “I’ll stay out all night, and come rolling home drunk in the morning”, chronicling the plight of a man who married an abusive woman for her money. There is a heavy element of confusion to this song, as if the man was unable to understand how he came to be in such a position – Yorkston excels at this type of casual bewilderment.

Yet doziness is the word that best describes Yorkston’s musical modus operandi. Most albums try to grab you with their first track – Roaring The Gospel makes no such effort. Yorkston doesn’t do upbeat, it’s just not his bag. ‘A Man With My Skills’ is probably as lively as he’s ever going to be though – his band getting a bit of a groove going. Yet Yorkston’s singing works as a foil to the music, his stubborn nonchalance blunting the band’s momentum. This is an image that’s appropriate for the rest of the album as well; of Yorkston calmly telling his story while the rest of the world goes on at a far faster pace than that to which he is accustomed. The use of the word Roaring must be an attempt at irony, for this man never gives the appearance that he would engage in any such boisterous activity.

While Yorkston’s reflections are usually interesting and semi-profound, his lyrics are not always convincing. ‘Someplace Simple’ paints him as a character that is simply not that believable – a mysterious character that women are wary of. He sings, “Would she be safe with a man like me?” but Yorkston sounds to lethargic to ever be of any danger to anyone.

There is a fair degree of interchangeability in the songs of Roaring The Gospel, which the album suffers from. Tempos change very little, and Yorkston’s demeanor undergoes only the most subtle of transformations. Yet there is always comfort to be found in his voice and the timelessness of his music. There is a sense that you could come back in two years time and Yorkston will still be there doing the same thing – and there is a comfort in that.