Bill Mallonee’s Rags of Absence (Review By BQN)
Bill Mallonee & The Big Sky Ramblers
(Bill Mallonee Music)
Reviewed by Brian Quincy Newcomb
The first time I heard songs by singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee was when his debut album with Vigilantes of Love arrived in my mailbox in 1991 with a bag of finishing nails. The album called Driving the Nails, featuring an aggressive blend of folk and punk sensibilities, released on the short-lived Core Records, began a long history of brief associations with promising recording/distribution companies; apart from the music, those alliances tell the tale of this fine Athens, GA artist.
Along with the changing allegiances of label support and promises, VoL’s personnel had a way of evolving, with solid players moving in and out of the band at regular intervals, the one constant being the passionate voice and songs of Mallonee. I have many warm memories of seeing VoL live, the earliest being Mallonee backed by Billy Holmes on mandolin playing many of the songs from the largely acoustic classic Killing Floor, which had been co-produced by R.E.M.’s Peter Buck. By the time VoL signed to Capricorn for four albums, it had morphed into an earthy rock four-piece including guitarist Newton Carter, bassist David LaBruyere (who went on to play with John Mayer) and drummer Travis McNabb (who moved on to Better Than Ezra and country band Sugarland). The best of that period, in my opinion was Blister Soul (Capricorn, 1995).
Another solid musical period for VoL followed with Kenny Hutson on guitars and pedal steel, Kevin Heuer on drums and Jacob Bradley on bass, which produced the high-water mark, Audible Sigh (2000), produced by Americana hero Buddy Miller. Two other early Aughts highlights included a surprising turn at a Brit-pop sound on Summershine (2001), and a fine live set captured on video, Resplendent (Audibly Live), (2002), which marked the end of the band as a moniker. (It’s worth noting for vinyl fans, Mallonee recently launched a limited edition two-disc version of Audible Sigh, as well as Killing Floor and both are incredible.)
It was never in doubt that Bill Mallonee would continue on as a solo act – that he has, and then some. Rags of Absence is something like his 77th full-length album’s worth of material recorded over the course of nearly three decades. There are people who write and play music because they love it and they can, and then there are those people who can’t do anything else. For them, it’s a calling, it’s a cross between journaling and therapy, and to lay down music and walk away would be leaving behind a part of themselves, probably the best part.
A decade ago, Paste Magazine placed Mallonee at #65 on their list of Best Living Songwriters, which was topped of course by Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. Like those greats, and having more in common with Woody Guthrie, John Prine and Merle Haggard, Mallonee writes songs that capture the vagaries of life and the struggles of the common working class person.
A few years ago, Mallonee and his wife and touring partner Muriah Rose got off the road, and settled down in New Mexico, where the always prolific songwriter has became even more productive. Early albums in that process found Mallonee producing competent recordings—playing most all the instruments (except for the piano and backing vocals that brought Rose into the mix.) But at times his efforts felt stiff, limited – they would have benefitted from other players interacting with in a song’s arrangement.
On Rags of Absence you can hear what a few more years of woodshedding on his instruments has accomplished, as Mallonee has figured out how to record himself on drums, bass, various guitars and a bit of harmonica and make it sound like a band playing live in the studio, bringing greater musical depth and dexterity to his arrangements. Most notable is his slide steel playing, and his more emotional soloing which is especially noticeable on “Nothing Here Was Ever Meant to Last,” where there are multiple guitars playing in various harmonies and some stellar moments where the guitar tones give voice to the song’s ache and sorrow. This is not flashy playing for its own sake, it’s just the kind of playing that marks the best recordings by the memorable players, where the song’s feelings flow through every aspect in the music. A couple times, I wondered how hard it must have been to play these parts separately, and imagined the hard work it must be to produce the effortless combo feel of the final recording.
But sounding good is one thing, writing really good songs is another, and once again Mallonee is able to bring it all together. There’s a country gospel feel on “If You Pray (You’d Better Cry, Cry, Cry),” with Rose adding a strong harmony; “Covering Ground” feels like a bluesy Neil Young slow rocker, where the guitars and Mallonee’s vocal manage to echo “the cries of the forgotten.”
Rags of Absence is a premier example of Mallonee’s literate poetic sensibilities matching the music’s virtuosity and tone, making for a powerful and evocative concoction.
For Mallonee’s vinyl re-issues visit: https://billmalloneemusic.com
For digital music, including an option to download his entire catalog, visit https://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com
