The Baptist Generals – Jackleg Devotional To The Heart

The Baptist Generals – Jackleg Devotional to the Heart (Sub pop)

I bought the The Baptist Generals’ 2003 debut,No Silver/No Gold, on CD on a whim for about $4. Hell of a deal, since the ramshackle folk precisely coded on to its polycarbonate surface turned out to be some of the most beautifully flawed music I’ve ever heard. After a ten-year hiatus, they return with Jackleg Devotional to the Heart. Their debut was recorded on an 8 track, and the rough production greatly accentuated the emotional rawness of the material. This time around, the production is much cleaner and more controlled, and so are frontman Chris Flemmons’ emotions. While this detracts from the cathartic, confessional quality of their earlier work, not fixating on Flemmons’ volatility brings the subtly beautiful contributions of his reliable backing band into focus.