Warn Defever -- I Want To Live 100 Years -- Lo Recordings 1999

Those of you who are fans of the legendary 4AD label should recognize Warn Defever. It was his muse that fired the art rock of 4AD flagship band His Name Is Alive over the course of many years and countless albums. Well Defever has returned with this solo album which turns 180 degrees from the sounds of HNIA and goes tumbling headlong into smoked out Willie Nelson Territory. That's right, I said Willie Nelson. This collection of twelve songs leans closer to the country/folk/punk axis of Will Oldham and his ilk but lacks the extreme ramblings that Oldham is prone to. The recording of most of the songs is akin to listening to a vintage Hank Williams 45 found in your basement. The lo-fi (some of these songs sound like they were recorded with two tin cans and a string) production values add a homey quality to Defevers occasionally piano and harmonica backed narratives on life, love and lust. Although nowhere near a masterpiece, this will appeal to lovers of words and wisdom who seek more than the cheap pop thrills or aggressive angst that so deeply infiltrates our record stores today.