Alabama3
(One Little Indian)
A convenient recap of Alabama3's tangled trajectory, Hits and Exit Wounds will likely prompt more questions than clarifications for anyone who wants to get a handle on this unusual U.K. outfit. In the dozen years or so since they first formed, the band (known in the States as simply A3 due to a conflict with the country band Alabama), has opted for an unlikely blend of electronica, Americana, blues and gospel that's caused even their most devoted fans to scratch their heads in bewilderment and bemusement.
Drawing from all phases of their recording career, the collection veers from their obvious affection for classic country (manifest in their deep-throated vocals, rumbling undertow and mining of the Man in Black's catalogue in "Hello...I'm Johnny Cash") to their penchant for ramshackle rhythms and atmospheric ambiance (as reflected in the slinky groove of "Hypo Full of Love" and the swampy shuffle of "Amos Moses"). A terrific take on John Prine's "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" and the hallelujah choruses of "R.E.H.A.B" and "Ain't Goin' to GOA" offer added enticement, but it's the eerie, ominous "Woke Up This Morning" - famously appropriated as "The Sopranos" theme song - that should lure the uninitiated. On the other hand, those that were mesmerized by that tune will likely savor this set overall.
Standout tracks: "Woke Up This
Morning," "Hello... I'm Johnny Cash," "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" LEE
ZIMMERMAN
