Tom Russell – Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall?
Living in El Paso has given Tom Russell a close-up view of the debate over controlling U.S. borders. Like a modern Woody Guthrie, Russell’s response is “The Immigrant Suite”, three songs with contrasting viewpoints on the issue. The rollicking title track, powered by Joel Guzman’s accordion, is a defense of those laboring for the upper class. Russell changes moods for the somber “California Snow” and “Across The Borderline”, which look at the issue through the eyes of a border patrolman and those on an uncertain quest for a promised land, respectively. Rounding out the EP are “The Other Side of Crazy” and the funky “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, a pair of quality outtakes from his recent Love & Fear CD.