Wetlands find their Voice

Tab Benoit, Houma’s now-venerable bluesman, has been hosting his most worthy Voice of the Wetlands Festival (VOW) for 10 years. An incredible bargain (another free event), VOW has steadily grown in stature, attendance and sheer star power, but has clung to its organic handmade and humble origins. Rumors of issues with its bucolic Southdown Museum venue sound ominous, but here’s hoping those will be ironed out in time for next year. Jamming for a great cause is about as good as it gets.

Three veterans of VOW who played at this year’s stellar event have excellent new records out, and I want to tell you about them.

ANDERS OSBORNE has gotten a lot of ink and exposure in these parts lately, what with his appearance at the Best of the Bayou Festival (with Robert Randolph) and the accompanying write-ups in these pages and other local media. But if anybody deserves more attention and any break that might come his way, it’s the affable Swede with his generous heart on his sleeve.

His purple patch on Alligator Records continues with PEACE, his strongest album since Living Room. Since he’s cleaned up his act (full-on sobriety), Osborne has not been shy about the demons that continue to hang around. At times his anguish threatened to overwhelm his musical landscape. Peace has a nice balance between light and dark, with the scales tipping toward optimism if anything.

He’s always loved the jarring contrast between rocking hard and folky melodic strumming, and now he’s incorporated both styles in the same song several times here. “I’m Ready” is the clearest example of this potent mix, and its stirring message of resolve to bravely face the future stiffens the spine. He starts out the album, however, with the aural equivalent of the darling cover girl’s one-finger salute – 43 seconds of squalling feedback. This breaks nicely into a Neil Youngish riff and the title cut’s hard-won clarity, comfort food for the ears.

And never again does he sink into self-indulgent excess (which he can do occasionally live), turning in one trenchant comment after another (save for a couple of minutes of trippy psychedelia in “Brush Up Against Me”). “47” is a rueful account of the changes his age has brought, done in his signature light funk stroll. “Let It Go” has a sleazier riff (Queens of the Stone Age-worthy) and a tough message to somebody who’s slipping away as he once was, and might again. He’s really mad about the gun violence terrorizing some neighborhoods in “Five Bullets,” and he’s incredibly tender and wise when he’s singing to and about his “Dream Girl” and “My Son.”

Oh, and his band is super tight and sympathetic, and his guitar playing is economical and soul stirring. Home run, Anders.

CYRIL NEVILLE’S voice just may be the platonic ideal of the Voice of Funk, New Orleans edition. He’s been riding the funk wave with those burnished pipes since he was a teenager fronting the original Meters. He was the less heralded but probably more valuable voice of the Neville Brothers. His older brother Aaron, with his incongruous falsetto and linebacker’s body, got the limelight and the duets with the Linda Ronstadts of the world.

Besides doing the occasional Wetlands Allstars gig, Neville can be found co-leading Royal Southern Brotherhood along with Devon Allman (Gregg’s son). He’s released several wildly different solo projects over the years (from reggae to old school R&B) but none as dead-on as his new one, MAGIC HONEY. You could almost consider this RSB’s second album, what with the emphasis on tough-as-nails blues rock and that band’s ace guitarist, Mike Zito, sitting in on a couple of tunes – except Neville doesn’t have to share lead vocal duties with the almost self-parodying Allman (who does the rawk voice a little too close to the Eddie Vedder vest for my taste).

Neville’s got a crack band behind him here: Mean Willie Green (who can’t help swinging) on drums, Carl Dufrene (also on Anders’ record) on bass, Norman Caesar on keys and the understated but killer Cranston Clements on guitar. Guests include the aforementioned Zito, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Walter Trout (slick blues guitarist also at this year’s VOW). David Z produced; his credits include Prince, Etta James, Jonny Lang and Benoit. It’s got a huge radio-friendly sound to match the mood.

Standout tracks include the opening title cut (a swaying ode to his “queen bee” and her produce), “Swamp Funk” (a Dr. John tune delivering exactly what it promises), “Another Man” (a Latin-tinged tale of betrayal), “Invisible” (Govt. Mule’s Warren Haynes’ searing poverty takedown), and “Running Water” (“You can’t stop running water, you can’t tame a crab”!). The left-field cover of Rush’s “Working Man” first brings smiles, then head-bobbing assent, as the band nails it. His reggae incarnation gets the curtain call on “Slow Motion,” proving Neville’s point that New Orleans is but the northernmost Caribbean city.

This release ranks with the best of all Neville-related records. Think about that statement. Then tell me I’m wrong after you listen to it.

TOMMY MALONE grew up on the River near Destrehan (near a certain Italian insurance salesman of note) and has a resume that’s equal parts heartbreaking and life affirming. Just a few highlights: He and John Magnie backed Lil’ Queenie in the Percolators and then went on to form the estimable subdudes. That band flirted with commercial success several times (they achieved it artistically in spades), but never quite made it. Katrina put the kill shot to both the band’s existence and Malone’s NOLA residence. He moved to Nashville to try his luck with that city’s golden promise, but never got New Orleans out of his soul. After moving back, he hooked up with his older brother, Dave (of the late lamented Radiators), but that sibling connection proved too contentious to last.

He was doing solo shows at Chickie Wah Wah when he reconnected with a high school bud, Jim Scheurich. They collaborated writing on several songs, and he finished several others he had started. He hired John Porter, the British producer who’s moved to the Bywater, a band was assembled and a studio booked. The result is NATURAL BORN DAYS, as fine a record as any released in 2013.

Malone’s talent is prodigious – his voice, guitar-playing and just spot-on pop smarts are overflowing. Listen to “Home,” with its inspirational praise of NOLA’s resolve, Malone’s plaintive vocals and greasy slide work, and just the seemingly effortless craft on display, for all the proof you need. But the album of course rolls on with gems like “No Reason,” “Mississippi Bootlegger” and the title cut. He puts spiritual crisis and doubt front and center on “God Knows,” and human connectedness gets its due on “Distance” and “Didn’t Want to Hear It.”

A guy who can break your heart one minute and then lift your spirits the next is a precious commodity. You can have it for 10 bucks or so, people – buy this.

– Dave Norman is a local attorney who has been smitten with music since he could hear his first transistor radio turned to WTIX, and is thankful for his ability to share his love with you.

Anders Osborne, seen here playing Jazz Fest, released his latest album, “Peace,” last month. In it, his best overall product in years, Osborne’s signature of meddling strumming folks with blasting riffs remains, reports Gumbo Entertainment Guide music critic Dave Norman.

FILE PHOTO

“Peace”

“Magic Honey”

“Natural Born Days”