In his classic title track HEART ATTACK AND VINE (1980), Tom Waits famously states there ain’t no devil, just god when he’s drunk. Going one better, in his latest CD titled THE DEVIL IN ME, Brother Lou (www.brotherlou.com) tells us there ain’t no devil, there’s just you and me. Whereas Tom (my hero) has a great voice for all the wrong reasons, Brother Lou (my other hero) sings out notes clear and majestic as a redwood forest. And like a forest of fine trees, THE DEVIL IN ME is a collection of some of Lou’s finest writing and performing. Drawing from some of south Florida’s best talent – John Jay Martyn, Debbie Duke, Armando Zuppa, Wes Malkin, Carol Matz, Rex Fischer, Bob Grabau, Nancy Wagner, Dan McGrath, Kevin Koester and Rex Blazer – Brother Lou has cultivated a CD of insights and awakenings that challenge, enlighten and entertain. Turn where you will on THE DEVIL IN ME, there’s always something interesting to see and hear. Starting off with the title track, Brother Lou declares the devil to be mean and abusive, but at least he’s there (god is allusive). THROUGH THE WIND resonates with an acoustic whisper of Jimi Hendrix’s THE WIND CRIES MARY (Are You Experienced, U.S. edition, 1967). An amazing rendition of THE HUNGRY GIRL captures the jazz-like, carny-hawking magnetism of Tom Wait’s STEP RIGHT UP (Small Change, 1976). The emotionally vulnerable DON’T WANT TO HIDE ANYMORE tells us why it’s a full time job telling right from wrong. In the hypnotic WHEN YOU LOSE AT LOVE and the captivating BAD GRAVITY there are vocal harmonies that echo Mick Ronson’s dissonant backing style for David Bowie on Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (title track, 1972). And in I’M GONNA RISE AGAIN, is Brother Lou invoking Jesus or a junkie? There’s even a fanciful cover of Warren Zevon’s I NEED A TRUCK (Excitable Boy, 2007 reissue bonus track). All said and done, THE DEVIL IN ME is another feather in Brother Lou’s cap. Along with his enchanting first CD – AS GOOD AS YOU WANT – and his six years (2004-2009) of MC’ing the Luna Star Café open mic, Brother Lou continues to bring out the music in me. Brother Lou now plays regularly at FireFlies in Alexandria VA (www.firefliesdelray.com), The Soundry in Vienna VA(www.soundry.net), and you can catch him May 16 at The National Underground (www.thenationalunderground.com) in New York City.
Dr. Bob