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Concert Tue Jun 17 2008
Jim Ward's New Direction
Over the last ten years, Jim Ward has contributed to a couple bands who've garnered massive amounts of praise. As the head behind Sleepercar, he's ventured rather far from those origins with an album, West Texas, sounding nothing like anything he's been involved with before. Instead of post-hardcore reminiscent of Fugazi or Quicksand, West Texas is, oh, a bit more geographically stereotypical for a band from... west Texas. It draws from Gram Parsons and reminds listeners of the Bottle Rockets or Old 97s more than, say, Helmet.
While there are still moments (notably "Sound the Alarm") where Ward lets his past slip into West Texas, there is hardly anything on the album to link him back to his other bands. The alt-country leanings showcase a brand new side to his songwriting. The grand structuring of a genre he admits to being relatively new to shows off his ability to work outside of his old comfort zones. Or perhaps he's just a late bloomer.
Sleepercar headlines the Empty Bottle on Wednesday. Chicago bands Dollar Store and Talldarkstranger open. The show starts at 9PM and admission runs $10.
