Rating: 5/5
Review:
Remarkably good
I think this is remarkably good, and for a debut album it is quite exceptional. It was a complete shot in the dark for me; I hadn't heard of Becky Warren but I was intrigued by the idea behind the album and it turned out to be a powerful, insightful and moving collection of very well crafted and performed songs.
War Surplus is the story of a veteran returning to the USA from service in Iraq terribly changed by PTSD, and the title is a bitterly ironic reference to this. The songs are all first person narratives by the veteran and his partner, which describe how things develop as he goes to war, his experiences there, his return and his inability to deal with the trauma and the consequences of it. It sounds grim, and it is in a way, but the songs are varied, musically appealing and sometimes even sing-along and the lyrics are exceptionally good. They are honest, insightful and written with understanding and compassion for both parties. They are some of the classiest lyrics I have heard from a new-ish artist for some time.
The songs are generally Country-tinged, often quite rocky –Take Me Back Home is an out-and-out rocker reminiscent of Jason Isbell's Super 8, for example - but with some very affecting and beautiful numbers, too; San Antonio is simply lovely and the closing track, Anything That Lasts, is just Warren and an acoustic guitar with a gut-wrenchingly poignant effect. The spirit of Springsteen's Born In The USA is obviously strong in this album, I get hints of Lucinda Williams, Eliza Gilkyson and others, but this is very much Becky Warren's own work and her own voice – and it's great.
The arrangements and production are very good, the band is excellent and this is an all-round classy piece of work. It's a long while since I have been so taken with a debut album and I can recommend this very warmly indeed.
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