Liz Says, “Meet Joe Purdy”
Joe Purdy is another one of those artists who are hard to classify. Kinda rocky, kinda folky, a bit country in places, even a little bluesy here and there. I first heard him when one of his songs, “Wash Away” from the album “Julie Blue,” was used to close an episode of “Lost” rather poignantly. Ultimately, I downloaded both “Julie Blue” and “Only Four Seasons” after sampling each on iTunes. I chose “Only Four Seasons” for the blog because A) it’s the newer of the two, and B) it’s more complicated and varied. (Interestingly, this was the first time I downloaded complete albums from iTunes. It will also be the last. Belatedly, I realize I have no liner notes or lyrics to consult when I do that.)
The best way to describe this CD, I think, is to say it’s what would probably result if you took a little Springsteen during his “Nebraska” phase and mixed it with a little bit of The Band, then sprinkled it with some Robert Cray and dipped it in Nick Drake. (And “Julie Blue” reminds me a lot of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon,” on which I blogged some time back.)
Much of the album consists of slow slongs, contemplative numbers like “Suitcase” and “Andrea,” and others that are more straightforward like “Look at You Now” and “Falling Down.” My favorite, though, is probably “Why Do I,” a strangely intimate song that showcases Purdy’s papery voice beautifully. And yeah, okay, because there are lyrics like, “Why do I stay out drinkin’/When I should just get back home/I got some company with strangers/It’s better than drinkin’ alone,” which speak to the bartender in me. And I like “Why You” a lot, too, because of the bluesy guitar on that one.
There are more upbeat numbers, too, however, like “The City,” which opens the CD and captures the feel of the city nicely, and “Cinderella and The A Train,” which sounds urban but actually has more of a country feel to it, right down to the harmonica riffs. In fact, every song has something notable to recommend it, and each is different from the one before while still maintaining a specific, and very nice, mood throughout.
Lyrically, the collection is lovely. Even poetic in places. There are songs of heartbreak and loneliness, songs of anger and bitterness, others that are melancholy, and some that are hopeful. And, of course, there are songs of love--both lost and found.
It’s a great CD for driving during the fall (it was one I listened to yesterday as I drove to a booksigning that was ninety minutes away), or for firelit evenings, or for sipping wine on the deck on a cool night. Mellow, moody, and moving. (I’d recommend investigating “Julie Blue,” too.)