Widespread Panic

Snake Oil King

 Snake Oil King, Widespread Panic’s first album of new songs in nine years, presents exactly that. Songs. Six excellent ones. The venerable band reminds us that although 30 years ago they were among the widely spread seeds that grew into the jam band genre, they can also write and play incredibly eloquent, concise songs. Released in time for the band’s residency at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater (they hold the renowned venue’s record for 72 consecutively sold-out shows), each displays a different, shimmering aspect of the band while clearly displaying the individual talents involved. The shattered glass soul in the voice of lead singer and guitarist John Bell, John Hermann’s whirling keyboard notes, guitarist Jimmy Herring’s singular melding of styles all the way from John McLaughlin to George Harrison to Jerry Garcia, Dave School’s massive but tuneful bass thumping, percussionist Sunny Ortiz’s dashes of Latin spice, and the intense drive of drummer Duane Trucks, all conspire to form an entirely unique musical mélange.

Thrusting into gear on the chunky, funky rock and roll of “Little by Little,” the album instantly grabs hold, the song’s description of a quest to reach Shangri-La left inconclusive. But not to the imagination. The mini epic “We Walk Each Other Home” then shifts the focus to the end of the journey, a sweeping account of a loving life well-lived, reflected in loss. The imagery and music in “Tackle Box Hero” derives from, and focuses on, Herring, an avid fisherman. Bell’s vocal in the song takes on a John Lennon character as Herring leads the band through the rapid ebb and swell of the music using everything that makes him such a riveting guitarist.

The apex of the album arrives on the lightly sashaying, countrified melody of “Life as a Tree,” the beautiful, metaphoric lyrics embracing human diversity. Lines such as “It takes a lifetime to the middle, a half-life to the finish,” “A tree never questioned its days as a seed,” and “Guitars never question their life as a tree,” are undeniable.

Snake Oil King presents an ear-opening experience to say the least and should thrill audiences in, and far outside, the jam band realm. Anyone appreciative of smart, well-written songs performed by virtuoso musicians, are well-advised to buy into its magic.

Tom Clarke for MAS

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