When I heard “Bad Things” from Jace Everett playing as the theme song to the HBO series True Blood I was instantly surprised that a national ‘edgy’ show would choose a song from an artist that wasn’t even on his record label anymore.  The song was a single from Everett’s lone Sony Nashville CD, a self-titled affair that tried to make this wholly unique artist into some sort of music row square.  The funny thing about the Jace Everett album is that Jace Everett still didn’t sound too particularly mainstream when compared to somebody like Rascal Flatts.  If you want to know what that Sony record sounded like, picture a less ‘raspy’ Gary Allan. 

After losing that record label deal, Jace Everett managed to persevere.  Last summer I managed to catch his live act and it was a sight to behold.  The whole thing exuded an energy and confidence that few performers could match.  He sang  all of the songs from his second album Red Revelations and after the show I immediately purchased his sophomore album, independently released by Weston Boys Entertainment (and given a wider re-issue this week on Wrasse Records), something I rarely, if ever, do at a live show.  

The album itself is quite more moody and confident like the “Bad Things” single.  Songs like “Possession” and “More To Life (C’mon C’mon) sparkle with an attitude not readily present on many mainstream releases these days while “Burn For You” as a bluesy, Howlin’ Wolf style to it with slowly building quiet verses and strong soaring ending where Jace Everett literally ‘howls.’   “The Good Life” is a swampy slice of country rock that details the seedy parts of society while “One Of Them” has an interesting raw and roots rock approach.  The album closes out with “Bad Things,” which Everett licensed from Sony for inclusion here.

Everything about Red Revelations is completely not mainstream yet it’s a record that completely tells who Jace Everett is as an artist and I have no doubts that he will be one of the Americana or Adult Rock (AAA) favorites for a long time to come as there’s nothing manufactured about the album or Jace Everett himself. 

You can support Jace Everett By purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.

You can also buy the physical CD at Amazon.

The physical album has this cover: