james jackson toth

 james jackson toth - waiting in vain (rykodisc 2008)

"July 29, 2008. On Waiting In Vain, Toth’s scenarios are intriguingly tawdry, his sounds tantalizing, with beautifully layered, almost-dreamlike harmonies; touches of blues, country and soul; the occasional flash of punk swagger; and even some sweet Fleetwood Mac-inspired pop. With his evocative, world-weary drawl of a voice, Toth assumes the role of storyteller, maybe even confessor, spinning inter-linked tales of hope and misfortune, romantic trials and spiritual yearning with an underlying theme of “temptation and redemption, and the varying ways you can view these things” throughout.

Waiting In Vain is the first album that James Jackson Toth, long a cult figure among underground rock followers, has chosen to release as a solo artist, and it marks a new beginning for him. For several years, he and wife experimented with a folk-psychedelic rock hybrid, releasing music under many pseudonyms including variations of the name Wooden Wand. For his last Wooden Wand release, James and the Quiet (2007), Toth stated that he was deliberately trying to make an “un-weird” album, and he set aside the psychedelic ramblings for more concise song-forms leaning toward the sound he’s realized on Waiting In Vain.

Toth, who plays some electric guitar, is joined by a small circle of musician friends, including guitarists John Dietrich, Nels Cline and Andy Cabic; alt-country multi-instrumentalist Carla Bozulich; bassist Shayde Sartin (Giant Sunflower Band); drummer Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Devendra Banhart) and Steve Fisk as producer." skope

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