Jefferson Pepper - American Evolution Vol. 1 Format: Album Release Date: 17th Mar 2008 Label: American Fallout Rating: As music projects go, Jefferson Pepper’s latest set of releases is a magnificent achievement in concentrated yet voluminous output. American Evolution Volume 1, is part of a 50 song opus, straining across two further volumes, to be released later this year. Taking as his inspiration Howard Zinn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States’ and his own questioning mind, Jefferson discusses the rights and wrongs of contemporary and historical America over a highly competent selection of Americana inflected backing. This first volume focuses upon 1492 -1920, reflected in the abundance of fiddles and banjos present in the mostly country and americana backing. It isn’t difficult to close your eyes at times to imagine it as the soundtrack to Woodie Guthrie and the dust bowl deserts of America. The turns of phrase are timely reminders of how socially engulfed mind sets such as Woodie's and Jefferson’s can find ordinary words to explain extraordinary events. Lyrics such as “going like a freight train, rolling down a one way track”, despite the simplistic “country” connotations, work surprisingly well as its intended indictment of modern America. This record needs time spent upon it, a careful listen and a left-leaning belief set to truly appreciate. If there is a record which will stand the test of time and encapsulate the uneasiness with which Americans live with their own politics and religion, this should be it.

Written by: David