Bernie King

Like much of American music, the leitmotif of ?KING? is sin and salvation. Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Marty Robbins, you complete the list. Have it on my desk by three. This the earnest work of a student of that school of American music. King walks the wavering line of a mortal held to the impossible standards of a hypocritical world. There is someone or something just ou of sight in almost ever song, someone or something evil. The songs are sincere and evocative, defiant and a bit world-weary. There affectations in the vocals that could be taken as homage.

The instrumental work by King, Matt Smith, Grant Thelen, Mike Seknovich, Ben Durrant and especially Jeff Waldeland on pedal steel guitar are all top-notch, as is Eliza Blue's vocal on ?Every Little Diamond?. Production values are absolutely killer, too. Best tune - ?Drinking With The Lord? and ?Big Fat Woman?.