Our Rating: 10 out of 10

Pennsylvanian singer/ songwriter JEFFERSON PEPPER etched himself indelibly on our conscience with his 2006 debut album 'Christmas In Fallujah'. It was, for this writer, up there with Wilco's towering 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' in terms of articulating the rage and frustration of living in modern day America. And trying to make sense of the consequences thereof.

As 'Christmas in Fallujah"s title suggested, Pepper's music was potent and politically-charged and also shot through with personal darkness as the album's title track was written in response to one of his best friends' posting to Iraq. 'Christmas In Fallujah' - the song - is also extremely important as it's perhaps the most resonant anthem written about the whole Iraq campaign and its' horrific consequences. It served notice that - finally - there was a younger gun out there unafraid to stand along with seasoned campaigners like Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen when it came to vocally sticking two very rigid digits up at George Dubya's lunatic foreign policy.

Ironically, 'Fallujah"s erstwhile follow up arrives with the American Election campaign turning into a battle royal. But then again, what better time to take stock and look back to look forward while (please God) the wind of change blows though Congress? Why not indeed, says Jefferson Pepper, unleashing his - at least partially - self-explanatory 'American Evolution': the 'Red' album in a trilogy of albums he'll be releasing (the other two are, naturally, the 'White' and 'Blue' albums) in a feverish six-month spell this year.

Sounds ambitious? Well, yeah, 50 tracks over three breathlessly-released albums probably sounds more in keeping with Guided By Voices or Ryan Adams' strike rates, while the idea of covering the evolution of American society from 1492 through to the present day over the course of three lengthy albums may well read like folly on the grandest scale imaginable.

But fear not, for with 'American Evolution - Volume 1' Pepper and his hugely-talented chums are really hitting their stride. Yes, there are 17 tracks all told and it clocks in at a generous 70 minutes, but the great news is that is rivetting stuff all the way and the wastage is utterly miniscule.

It's quite a start and while it's tempting to think you've immediately come upon this record's 'Christmas in Fallujah', I'd personally reserve that honour for 'Trail Of Tears', which is a magnificently-observed vignette reflecting the frustration all decent, right-thinking Americans must feel about their wonderful country's decimated public image around the world. "From the Trail of Tears to the roadsides of Iraq/ we're fighting our enemies, too many aren't coming back/ the emperor's without a stitch...when will we ever see?" sings Pepper with feeling over a proud'n'bloodied chiming rocker taking its' cue from The Replacements or 'Life's Rich Pageant'-era REM. They score again with a similar stylistic set-piece a little later on, courtesy of 'Rockefellers': a chugging, Crazy Horse-ish affair where America's Industrial Revolution is the backdrop and a world-weary Pepper reminds us the deadliest sharks ("the most hated man in America made a fortune on the Civil War/ shipping mass destruction and soldiers by the score/ and his Ohio factories refined Pennsylvania crude") are always ready to go into feeding frenzy and exploit a favourable economic situation.

Crucially, though, one of the reasons Jefferson Pepper is emerging as such a potent force is that he writes brilliantly when addressing the personal as well as the political. Having grown up the grandson of coal miners and farmers and the son of a factory worker, Pepper intrinsically understands the darker underbelly of the bloated American dream and how it can often rebound on the middle American individual. And, like Billy Bragg, it's sometimes when he turns his hand to writing of the plight of the individual that he really scores.

Musically, Pepper's aim with his 'American Evolution' trilogy is to cover as many folk and rock-related styles as are appropriate with the subject matter. However, while 'Volume 1' takes in everything from old-time Appalachian-style tunes through to acoustic folk, full-on rock'n'roll and even a pair of heady, Doug Dillard-style bluegrass instrumentals in 'Lewis &Clark Homecoming' and 'Appomattox' (celebrating the historic 19th century expedition and the end of the US Civil War respectively), it rarely sounds forced or overblown. Actually, the only time they threaten to succumb to pastiche is with the throwaway closing tune 'Primates Swingin': a fun, but disposable Texan swing outing concerning Darwin's theory which has its' tongue very firmly in its' cheek. There again, even this outing has its' flashes of genius as the lyric manages to rhyme "homo erectus" with "prospectus" along the way. So there.

There's much more, of course, but there again with 17 tracks, over 70 minutes of music and the best part of 500 years of history to work with, you probably wouldn't expect an artist to write Residents-style 45 second snippets, would you? Crucially, though, where 'American Evolution' is concerned, quality goes hand in hand with quantity at all times and whether Jefferson Pepper is addressing America's rich history, big modern day issues or small victories notched up by the little man along the way, he makes the grade with compassion to spare. It all adds up to an alternative history lesson that should be a compulsory curriculum entry for all discerning music heads out there from now on.

While America tends to set the trends in terms of musical fashion, there’s one genre which has incredible popularity Stateside but has failed to make any serious in-roads anywhere else in the road. The country genre is, according to the press release accompanying this album:

Sappy, cliche, inane, jingoistic, insipid lyrical content with formulaic chord progressions and instrumentation.

American country musician Jefferson Pepper has decided to counter this by building upon the critical success 2006’s protest album, Christmas in Fallujah, with this ambitious project of covering the majority of American history over three albums – red, white and blue. The first, the red album and the one reviewed here is built on the period from 1492 to 1940, and this is matched by the musical accompaniment, which is awash with fiddles and banjo backing. For those that don’t like any kind of country music, this isn’t the kind of album that’s going to change their mind anytime soon, despite the press release’s promise that Jefferson Pepper

sings country music for people who hate country music.

What really sets Pepper apart from the much maligned mainstream genre is the quality of the lyrics. They’re sharp, succinct, to the point and objective. When Pepper is on form he is inspired, and he’s at his best when railing against right wing republican values with lyrics such as:

I can pretend that we’re always on the moral side, charging at them fuelled with jingoistic pride. …referring to Gettysburg. Pepper doesn’t stop there though, and rails equally against religious indoctrination in ‘Dam in the River’:

Why would we rebel against rational thought when it contradicts what we’ve been taught, and why is science the enemy of everything good in the land of the free? Unfortunately, when the lyrics aren’t present, the instrumentals often feel a bit flat and unoriginal, and when his lyrics lose their ascorbic punch, they have a tendency to turn to the saccharine and meandering. Take ‘Paperback Romance’ for example: a slushy tale of an orphaned girl getting together with a boy who was picked on at school for having a stutter, when all she expected from life was “a paperback romance from the second hand store”. As soon as Pepper’s lyrics lose their bite, it becomes apparent that the music can be a little drab, predictable and repetitive in places – completely at odds with Pepper’s promise to do away with the aspects of country music that so many hate.

For all this, it’s a fascinating project that Pepper has taken on, and his insightful and often angry lyrics provide some thought-provoking sentiment. It’ll be interesting to hear his views on more contemporary issues on the American dream over the next two volumes, both due for release before the end of the year.

"This machine kills fascists", stond op Woody Guthrie's gitaar. Op die van Jefferson Pepper staat een Amerikaanse vlag. Verder staan ze in dezelfde traditie - ook muzikaal - , een traditie waar ook Pete Seeger en, later, Steve Earle toe behoren. Jefferson Pepper is trots op Amerika, maar hij schaamt zich voor haar machthebbers. Zijn Amerika is die van de arme sloebers, de mensen die de oorlogen ingestuurd worden en het slachtoffer zijn van de schofterig rijke upper-class. Meer nog is zijn Amerika dat van de oorspronkelijke bewoners, de weidse en ongerepte prairies, de groene velden en de woeste kusten. Zo was het ooit en sindsdien is het alleen maar achteruit gegaan. Hoe dat gebeurd is, beschrijft hij op drie CD's die samen American Evolution gaan heten. Het eerste van die drie is zojuist verschenen en bestrijkt de periode tot 1940. Van het oorsponkelijke, maar nu onbereikbare Amerika ("Can't Go Home"), worden we via Columbus en de conquistadores ("Columbus Day") langs zeventien andere scčnes uit de rijke, maar soms zo trieste geschiedenis van de V.S. geleid. Hoogtepunten zijn "The Sheep and the Goats" waarin christelijk-rechts een veeg om de oren krijgt en "Paperback Romance", de levensgeschiedenis van twee underdogs. Het is makkelijk om sentimentele verhalen te beschrijven, maar ontzettend moeilijk om dan niet larmoyant te worden. In de laatste track is dat dan eigenlijk ook gebeurd. Maar zoals het de ware countryzangers betaamt, komt hij er schaamteloos mee weg. En waarom ook niet? Als je het lef hebt om zo'n ambitieus werkstuk af te leveren, moet je ook tot het uiterste gaan. Het levert drie platen op en een hoge plek in de jaarlijstjes.

(4 out of 5 Stars)

This is the first of three albums chronicling the history of the US, no less. It covers the period 1492- 1940 and sets out to right the story of history, to change the angle of delivery from that of "merchants, kings and conquerors" to that of the "beaten, killed and used". It's a tall order, but Jefferson Pepper is unfazed and sets out with impressive gusto, aided by a talent for distinctive rootsy melody and an ability to distill complex scenarios into convincing song lines. The musical backdrop changes from folky bluegrass to REM-ish driven rock, with the occasional light- fingered instrumental thrown in to lighten the mood. All that would be worthy but potentially dull were it not that Pepper is an impressive songsmith. Granted, there are some awkward moments, but this is a fascinating album. Volumes 2 and 3 follow in the next month or so.

www.americanfallout.com

(4 out of 5 Stars)

American Evolution does just what it says on the sleeve, telling the history of the United States of America in song - not only through the lyrics but also through musical styles. Beginning with old-time folk, Jefferson Pepper promises to move forward through Blues, Rock'n'Roll, Grunge and Americana before he's finished.

Volume One (The Red Album) covers the historical period from 1492 to 1940, and musical genres from fiddlin' folk to swing. It's an ambitious project offering up everything from the discovery of America, though the Civil War and its aftermath to the Great Depression. This is well-trod ground for country singers, but one of the first things that strikes you about Pepper's music is not only how timeless it sounds, but how modern it is while drawing so heavily on the past.

A perfect example is Trail of Tears. The fifth track, a paean to Civil War, it could be a lost outtake from a Springsteen concert but comes straight after the hoedown barn dance instrumental of Lewis and Clark Homecoming and directly before the feel-good country of Can't Come Back.

Trail of Tears also mixes harder, more aggressive sounds with the lyrical hope and optimism of young men off to war; Can't Come Back is a gentler tune but with darker lyrics that are themselves underpinned by a sense that not everything is hopeless: 'Think of a time that's ten thousand years in the future, think of a time when the blood was flowing through your veins, think of yourself as someone who hoped to make it better'.

From the midnight mariachi strings of Columbus Day, border music from the Old West, through the Mississippi reminder of Riverbank Blues to the thoroughly modern Only Survivor (which throws a further loop by including lyrics about TV while you think you're still stuck in the 19th century) and the Led Zeppelin-esqe Dam in the River of Life, this is music that stands on its own two feet with or without the messages it wants to share.

American Evolution is a phenomenally intelligent album, dressing up its protest songs in music so beautiful you can't resist, feeding you its politics in a cup of honey rather than shoving them down your throat. The titles of the instrumental, most traditional tracks, are loaded with meaning that lyrics could never convey - Appomattox's cheery fiddling is named after the final defeat of General Lee, thus signifying the end of the Civil War and the defeat of the Confederates. In the cheeriness of the tune, is Jefferson telling us that this was a positive moment in American history, or are its old-fashioned strings simply a reminder that time moves on?

Sometimes the politics are more clear-cut. He's pulling no punches in Rockefellers, Fine Fine Day and Wood and Wire but never in a way that sounds preachy or overbearing.

American Evolution's greatest in-joke is not only its following of history through lyrics and string arrangements, but the way it plays just as intelligently with form. This is a proper album - not just a collection of songs or a pick'n'mix to choose downloads from. You need the whole kit and kaboodle for it to work: all 17 tracks, in order, in the CD case, with the sleeve artwork and lyrics. You'll need the two follow ups (White and Blue, we presume) in the same format, and you need to play them through speakers that fill the room with the weight of this history. Sometimes, evolution can go too far.

An expansive concept that undoubtedly contains something for everyone

Two years in the making and the first of three CDs to be released this year by Jefferson Pepper as part of his attempt to span over 500 years of American history in song, this collection covers the period 1492 to 1940. It’s an ambitious project that has produced eclectic results, with old-time fiddle tunes such as Lewis and Clark Happening standing alongside the contemporary country of Can’t Go Home and the roots rock of Trail of Tears. Pepper is a skilled lyricist who has managed to pull off with relative ease what would be a mind-blowing concept to many. He tackles everything from Columbus Day to religious fundamentalism and the exploitation of the under-classes here, but you never once feel that you’re being preached at. With forthcoming volumes said to incorporate elements of punk, grunge and warped disco, this is an expansive concept that undoubtedly contains something for everyone.

American Evolution Volume I je prvním dílem trilogie, která je inspirována americkou historií od předkolumbovské éry až po současnost. Všechny tři díly mají vyjít během půl roku a stojí za nimi folk-rock-countryový písničkář Jefferson Pepper.

Jefferson Pepper – American Evolution Volume I

17 skladeb / 71:40, American Fallout Records

Po politicky kriticky laděném debutu Christmas in Fallujah (American Fallout Records, 2005) se Jefferson Pepper přihlásil s prvním dílem ambiciózní trilogie American Volume, která má za úkol interpretovat dějiny USA od předkolumbovských dob do současnosti ve formě písňových textů. Volume I končí rokem 1940, tedy rok před tím než bylo USA nečekaně napadeno Japonskem.

Jefferson Pepper vyrostl na klasicích postpunkové a alternativní scény. Mezi jeho oblíbence patřili The Clash, Patti Smith i Nirvana. Pak ovšem objevil Johnnyho Cashe, Johna Prineho či Neila Younga, kteří ho nasměřovali ke kořenům tradiční americké hudby. Od té doby je jeho hudební vnímání poznamenáno silným zájmem o folk a country, které účelně a citlivě propojuje s rockem.

Na rozdíl od debutu Christmas in Fallujah, kde se Pepper pohyboval na striktně vyměřené přímce country - rock, je American Evolution Volume I hudebně členitější. Sedmdesátiminutové nahrávce sice opět vévodí country rock, jenž má opět potenciál zabodovat v americké country hitparádě, ovšem žánrová paleta je od posledního setkání o poznání barevnější. Milovaný country rock prokládá Jefferson Pepper písněmi, jež čerpají z víceméně spřízněných žánrů. Vedle rockově nabroušených písních narazíte na akustické blues, dřevní country, bluegrass, bluesrock a v samém závěru si Pepper s kapelou dokonce zaswinguje. Jako celek působí American Evolution Volume I přes žánrovou otevřenost sevřeným (a sehraným) dojmem. Obávám se však, jestli další dvě pokračování nebudou jen variací Volume I a zda nabídnou, vedle textů popisující historii USA, také nějaká hudební lákadla a překvapení.