Jon Snodgrass – Visitor’s Band

For those not in the know, Jon Snodgrass is a principal songwriter in both Armchair Martian (who I have yet to hear) and the alt-country band Drag The River, who seem to be reasonably hot shit right now. Being in the dark about the former, I can’t say much about ‘em – but given the nature of Snodgrass’s songwriting and recognizable voice, Visitor’s Band comes across, to this uneducated listener, as simply another Drag The River album, just without co-vocalist Chad Price singing anything this time around. For diehard fans of that band, such a statement may be considered blasphemy, like saying Bloodbath And Beyond and Dillinger Four sound the same just because Paddy’s in both bands. But for those of us who could really take or leave Drag The River, hopefully you’ll understand what I’m getting at – the similarities seem unavoidable.

The recurrent emotion that came up through repeated listens of Visitor’s Band was frustration. Everything I’ve read or heard about this man points to how genuine and rad he is, and it’s clear that his music resonates with a ton of people. All this goodwill makes me want to like this stuff, but I just… don’t.

Much like Drag The River’s recent singles collection, Bad At Breaking Up, Snodgrass seems to stick with either a) electrified barnstormers or b) slow acoustic tearjerkers. In the right hands, both formulas have the capability to demolish. But there’s just something about the man’s voice and choices of chord progressions that make these songs so easy to forget – they flit right through my brainpan without causing any sort of emotional response at all. The ballads tend to drag (sorry for the pun) on and on, and while the uptempo numbers fare slightly better, nothing really sticks. What can I say? It’s country music. The very rare exception notwithstanding, it’s a genre that I have virtually zero interest in or connection with.

Barroom rousers like “Remember My Name” almost get the foot tapping but never quite make it to “rocking out” status, and are then generally followed by somber assdraggers like “Song For Jake Nicholds To Sing”, which totally destroy any momentum the previous tune has built up. I feel like I’m being too harsh – the man is obviously dedicated and enjoying himself here – but there’s honestly nothing that I identify with, nothing that reaches out. Snodgrass has a nice voice, a little ragged but confident as hell, and it’s clear that he and his friends can play their instruments. But in the end, that oh-so-necessary spark just isn’t there for this listener.

Still, the best track is the last track, “Visitor’s Band” – which is essentially a repeat of the first ten songs recorded in different forms. It’s an awesome idea – apparently he does it on many of his releases – and goes a long way towards showcasing the fact that the guy’s making music for the love of it and not out to make a bundle on excessively packaged and woefully expensive one-sided 7”s with “alternate versions” of well known songs. Everything’s there (passion, integrity, all of it) except for that little something that makes me like the stuff. Goddamnit.