| Alex Lowe has gone back to his roots. On his third solo album, "Step Forward All False Prophets", the former Hurricane 1 frontman, who is from Scotland, has returned to the country rock sound that he grew up with.
Written in five days, "Step Forward All False Prophets" is the work of a man who has rediscovered the power of classic songwriting. Gone is the indie-rock sound of Alex's previous recordings, replaced by down and dirty, whiskey-soaked tales about preachers, angels, whores and devils.
The ghost of Johnny Cash looms large over these acoustic recordings, coupled with the storytelling tradition of Bob Dylan and the tear in yer beer melancholy of Gram Parsons, Jayhawks and early Wilco.
"I have always been into that country style," says Lowe. "I like Dylan, Tom Petty, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. Johnny Cash was a total rock 'n' roll icon, a dirty angel. I always wanted to make an acoustic album and I am glad I have finally got the chance to do this."
"I don't think it's country as such," he adds, "but I do think it's quite alternative, as the lyrics are mostly based on strange events. I am really proud of the lyrics; they're my best yet. It's funny, but if you listen to the album there is a very spiritual nature about the whole thing. I am not a religious person at all, but there is a sense of a higher being in these songs. They're all to do with angels, preachers, and whores, saving people, gunfights and the Devil."
During the recording of the album, Alex sought inspiration from both Dylan and Petty. "I have always liked Dylan, but over the past few months I have dug deep and found out more about him," he says. "While I was making the new album, all I listened to was Dylan and Tom Petty. My favourite Dylan song is 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall,' it's amazing." |
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