Sassparilla's 'The Darnest Thing' album review

Mainly comprised of Kevin “Gus” Blackwell (vocals, cigar box guitar, national resonator guitar), the father and son combo of Ross “Dagger” MacDonald (harmonica) and Colin “Sweet Pea” MacDonald (washtub bass), Naima (vocals, accordion, washboard), and Justin Burkhart (drums), Sassparilla is a rollicking band filled with many a jaunty, bluesy rendition that can coax even the most predisposed human beings to get riled up in a finger-snapping and body-rocking kind of way.

The folksy and deeply resonating tracks on The Darnest Thing, Sassparilla’s fifth release, is perhaps partly inspired by the terrain the band members hail from. The 5-piece outfit based in Portland, Oregon, has managed to produce a succinct piece of work that mirrors the rough and harsh landscape of the grand state of Oregon back in the U.S.’s booming Gold Rush period.

The album cover to the Darnest Thing alludes to this rough lifestyle and no-bullshitting attitude; on the cover is a flower, desiccating and wilting on the stem and emerging like a weed on the bottom corner of the white cover. This nearly translucent flower may humble us to the harsh and unrelenting conditions our forbearers had to endure, while also reminding us of the pure will-power of the desert plant. The umbilical cord that ties us all together is the music, and Sassparilla does a brilliant job of connecting us to those things that are distant and even to things that are relevant to us.

And by delivering to us this image, Sassparilla is able to suspend our beliefs, and by doing so, they are able to produce a highly dynamic piece of work. The tracks off The Darnest Thing vary between bluesy-folk rock with punk-sensibilities, and register between modulations of gritty, raw, and emotively fraught tunes. Catchy and energetic – just imagine them live –the instrumentals would alone suffice as a rocking show, but it will be Gus Blackwell’s smoky and whiskey-warm vocals that will continue to resonate with audiences.

With his attention-grabbing voice, Blackwell’s singing contributes to the vaudeville sound. His soulful approach to singing sends highly gripping images to the mind. But overall the carnival-esques references are done in colorful and masterful renderings. Blackwell’s vocals will, alone, beckon spectators to come and watch.

But overall, Sassparilla’s sound conjures up a grainy-oldies feel of a yellowing photograph. These skilled musicians are able to make life-like character sketches through their resounding lyrics and grim portrayals of the ending and the quality of a man’s life. In “Overcoat” and “Confession,” these two tracks draw to mind the lonely plains of the West, and this landscape really does depict the inner workings of a soul living on the land at the time.

Blackwell’s vocals, though simplistic, makes the tracks on this album compilation haunting like a talisman. It sticks to you and audiences will find themselves looking back to these songs and turning them over in their minds throughout the day.

“My First Lover,” the 7th track to The Darnest Thing, is the most emotive track on the album. It has the semblance of reaching far back in the recesses of memory to recall ghosts and past hindrances. These scars and talk of hidden demons has a kind of religious and philosophically take to the un-reconciled past. The closer, “You’ve Got it Bad,” is also a melancholy recollection of a lifetime.

Sassparilla’s The Darnest Thing is a really great record rooted in folk and with an energetic vibe. Though owning their oftimes disparaging sound, these finger-snapping renditions bear a vibrancy that brings to mind the current greats like Mumford and Sons and The Black Keys. If they keep things consistent, they might just reach the ranks of these predecessors.