Album Review: The Revealer, Jesse Dayton

Jesse Dayton has a five-star pedigree in the roots/Americana world, along with some solid movie credentials. As well as releasing a half-dozen or so solo albums since his 2005 debut, the Texas guitar-slinger has recorded and/or played live with legends like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Glen Campbell. If that weren’t enough, he’s provided a couple of soundtracks for Rob Zombie movies (including Halloween 2), even doing a bit of acting and screenwriting along the way.

Recorded in his home state, Houston, just after coming off the road with Lucinda Williams and The Mavericks, The Revealer is a stew of influences. The record encompasses country, blues, rockabilly – even touches of Dylan – and imbues it all with punk energy. Right from the off, Dayton gets the feet tapping. An updating of Johnny Cash’s classic ‘Get Rhythm’, ‘Daddy Was A Badass’ features the killer line, “He was a honky-tonk dancer/Even beat cancer”. Better still is ‘Holy Ghost Rock ‘N’ Roller’, which comes across like Dayton’s fellow Texan, Joe Ely, in his early ’80s prime, with a hint of Jerry Lee Lewis.

If there was a Country Music Award category for song titles, Dayton would surely sweep the boards; they don’t come much better than ‘I’m At Home Gettin’ Hammered While She’s Out Gettin’ Nailed’. The lyrics, meanwhile, are just as good: “The moral of the story is sad but true… I love to drink – she loves to screw.” Dayton shortly hits Dublin – if you fancy this sort of thing, don’t miss him!
7/10
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