The ambitious new album See The Light, from Alabama quintet Fiddleworms is a cavalcade of styles with literally a parade of guest musicians including the University of North Alabama marching Band. The eleven original tracks are interspersed with snippets of radio sound effects and spoken word segments that flow from jazzy blues to stomping country rock fusion all centered around the lazy everyman vocals Russell Medford. The level of production and instrumental performance is top notch as it weaves in the elements of classic Muscle Shoals R&B from the 70’s reminiscent of Little Feat and NRBQ, with layers of superb guitar picking, hot horn jabs, retro keyboards and a rockin’ rhythm section. The album is lacking a single to hang its hat on as the band chooses rather to present this album as one continuous piece of music forming a neo progressive jam band opera, full of opaque twists and turns. Medford sings about the struggles of love one moment then laments the struggles of the working man the next. The Fidldeworms have certainly created a unique musical landscape with See The Light, hard to know if audiences will ever clearly understand the depth of this southern gothic passion play.
http://www.fiddleworms.com/live/index.php
Rick J Bowen
