Mike Mattison & Trash Magic
Turn A Midnight Corner
Landslide Records
For over 23 years a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band and the Derek Trucks Band, Mike Mattison unveils his third solo album, Turn A Midnight Corner, whose title is taken from Yusef Kumsnyakaa’s poem, Blue Dementia.
Mattison explains, “I guess you can find my takeaway in a line from the album’s opening track, ‘Going Down The Alley.’ The idea that if you’re not careful, you can ’turn a midnight corner’ and ‘smack up right into yourself.’”
Produced by Jason Kingsland and Mattison, the inspiration for the album came from the idea Mattison had to write a novella about a country blues duo called Ted ‘n’ Turk, who are rediscovered 40 years later.
According to Mattison, “They’re brought together as aging men and are poised to re-record their old 78 rpm sides. However, the ‘rediscovery’ turns into a bit of a media circus when rockstars come sniffing around, money muddies the waters, race stuff encroaches, resentments emerge, and the whole thing falls to pieces.”
The album features the talents of Mattison’s current band, Trash Magic: guitarist Dave Yoke (Dr. John/Susan Tedeschi Band/Scrapomatic), guitarist Greg Spradlin (Los Lobos satellite member), bassist and keyboardist Wesley Flowers, and drummer Tyler Greenwell.
Talking about his band and the sound of the album, Mattison says, “The band is deeply simpatico. Dave (Yoke) and Greg (Spradlin) come from Alabama and Arkansas, respectively, and have played with Dr. John and Los Lobos. They both have this indefinable guitar THING that, taken together, makes these songs pop. We bleed a little bit into rural-blues — even country itself — with a whiff of Tin Pan Alley, but at its heart, this record is the blues.”
Made up of a dozen tracks, it’s a doozy of a record. Highlights include “Going Down The Alley,” with its thumping, country rhythm and dark, resonant guitar motif. For some reason, this track conjures up suggestions of Chris Isaak crossed with The Grateful Dead.
A sleazy blues rocker, “Get It Back” rolls and throbs with captivating textures as Mattison’s rasping vocals infuse the lyrics with longing and determination.
“Chase that perfume / And track her down / Gonna get her back / Gonna get her back.”
The lazy, drifting sway of “When I Was Loaded” captures the core feeling of the blues – aching loneliness and emotional despondency. There’s tender compassion, a familiar understanding revealed in this song.
The catchy chugging motion of “Homesick Lullaby” forms an earworm of a rhythmic pulse as Mattison’s soft, smooth voice gives the lyrics a delightful warmth. Vaguely reminiscent of Elvis on the chorus, “Be Like A Train” blends country rock and blues into a charismatic tune.
Another favorite because of its smoky colors and shadowy surfaces, “Lookee Here” evokes the swaggering portent of a lover’s warning come to fruition.
“Honey, you can talk a mile but listen / Never would believe I’m moving on / Lookee here / A man done gone.”
“Waiting For Lola” closes the album off with style and hints of country elegance. There’s a Beatles-like flavor to the song, like something that would fit on The White Album – compelling, a bit quirky, yet innovative and easy to listen to.
A grand album, well-arranged and timely because of its bluesy faithfulness, Turn A Midnight Corner explores memory and identity.
