Dark Night of the Soul

Jimbo Mathus has a solo career as substantial as his other career as a member of Squirrel Nut Zippers, and in 2014 that solo career has seen more activity. After his much-acclaimed solo album *White Buffalo*, his debut for the esteemed Fat Possum label, Mathus returns with *Dark Night of the Soul*, which was not only produced by Fat Possum’s Bruce Watson but was worked on steadily for months at Watson’s Dial Back Sound studio with engineer/instrumentalist Bronson Tew. Roughly 40 songs were brought to tape, with Watson serving as Mathus’ editor and narrowing the album to its essentials. This shows off Mathus as a rock ’n’ roll veteran, with a sense of Van Morrison, Garland Jeffreys, and Graham Parker mixing with the rougher Southern ends of Mathus’ sound. “Rock & Roll Trash” salutes the music with a tough groove and a nod to Lou Reed in the lyrics, while the Mississippi-bred Mathus uses his band The Tri-State Coalition (with Ryan Rogers on drums and the incomparable Eric “Roscoe” Ambel on guitars) to ensure nothing sounds too rehearsed or studied.