Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands - Snake in the Radio

Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands - Snake in the Radio - 2006 

From PopMatters

Maybe it’s a more natural connection than indicated at first blush, but who would have guessed that the leaders of the ‘90s Seattle grunge explosion would now be making serious inroads in the Americana scene? Sure, there’s earlier evidence of cross-pollination; the Supersuckers have lived in both worlds for years (they once called Seattle’s Sub Pop Records home, you’ll recall), and Pearl Jam buddied up with Neil Young ages ago. Lately though, the grunge-to-Americana connection has been gaining steam, with enjoyable results. Mudhoney’s Steve Turner, uh, turned in the fantastic, if little heard, Steve Turner And His Bad Ideas back in 2004, and Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees has, on his solo albums, been exploring the creepy/gothic side of Americana since his band’s demise. To this list, we can add Mark Pickerel, who was the Screaming Trees drummer during the band’s stint on SST in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. His first solo album, Snake in the Radio, for alt-country outpost Bloodshot Records, puts him near the top of the lengthening grunge-guy-gone-Americana list.

Not that Pickerel’s new to the scene, having worked with alt-country siren Neko Case on the Wanda Jackson tribute album, Hard Headed Woman (they turned in “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”). Still, on Snake in the Radio Pickerel sounds like he’s been an Americana guy since birth. The opener, “Forest Fire”, boasts a friendly lope and plenty of steel guitar (courtesy of Margrethe Bjorklund), while “Come Home Blues” is a convincing mid-tempo desert trail number. You’d never guess he still calls Washington State home.

Throughout, Pickerel sounds like a less-ravaged Lanegan with a more upbeat outlook on life. To wit, there’s the beautiful ballad “I’ll Wait”, where Pickerel’s narrator patiently will “wait another day / To hear the words you want to say” (hint: “I love you”). He loves a shy girl and is in no mood to rush: “Even this panther knows when to move slow,” he promises. Toss in a sweet, shambling guitar solo, and “I’ll Wait” is easily one of the album’s best tunes.

READ MORE HERE

01. Forest Fire
02. Come Home Blues
03. A Town Too Fast For The Blues
04. I'll Wait
05. Graffiti Girl
06. Ask The Wind, Ask The Dust
07. Don't Look Back
08. You'll Be Mine
09. Sin Tax Dance
10. Snake In The Radio
11. Town Without The Blues





+@320