[FM] FAME Review: Jeffrey Foucault's "Stripping Cane" written by David Schultz

[David N. Pyles]

Stripping Cane
Jeffrey Foucault
(http://www.jeffreyfoucault.com)
Signature Sounds (SIG 1286)

Signature Sounds Recording Company
P.O. Box 106
Whatley, MA 01093
1-800-694-5354
http://www.signaturesounds.com

A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
by David Schultz (schultz at alum.mit.edu)

Jeffrey Foucault (pronounced FOH-kult) released his critically acclaimed 
debut "Miles from the Lightning" in 2001. (See 
http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p02457.htm for a review.) Touring to 
support this album since then, Foucault has played with Guy Clark, Greg 
Brown, Chris Smither, Kelly Jo Phelps, Gillian Welch, Richard Buckner, 
Rosanne Cash, and John Hammond, among others. He also collaborated with his 
friends Peter Mulvey and Kris Delmhorst to create the 2003 album of mostly 
cover songs "Redbird." Finally, in 2004, Foucault released his long-awaited 
sophomore solo follow-up, "Stripping Cane." Expect this album to generate 
more buzz and more of the same accolades for this young singer-songwriter.

Foucault is the master of an introspective, sometimes dark, mood. Sparse 
instrumentation on both his albums is the rule. On "Stripping Cane," a drum 
appears just once---only on the title song, and then barely noticeable. The 
album is dominated by acoustic instrumentation by Foucault and 
multi-instrumentalist David Goodrich. Fellow Redbird collaborators Mulvey 
and Delmhorst occasionally lend their backing vocals, as does Anita Suhanin 
(Groovasaurus and Shwang). Foucault's distinctive rich voice and guitar 
work is dominant in the mix, as it rightly should be. Credit goes to 
producer David Goodrich (Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey, Rose Polenzani), who 
carried these strengths over from the first album.

If there is a fault to "Miles from the Lightning," it is that the sparse 
album was too much for the listener. The one relatively upbeat track "I'm 
Alright" comes too late in the album for any refreshment. Fortunately, 
"Stripping Cane" avoids this weakness. The album is more bluesy, is 
consistently more melodic, is sequenced better, and possesses more variety 
than its predecessor . That's why I think "Stripping Cane" has the ability 
to be the breakout album for Foucault's career.

The album opens with "Cross of Flowers," about returning home to an 
abandoned rural setting. Whereas the opener is reminiscent of the dark 
imagery on "Miles from the Lightning," the second jolts us into rocking 
country blues about the short lifespan of a "Mayfly." Foucault explains 
that the tune was a result of trying the figure out the first few bars of 
"Freight Train" in an open tuning in a Texas hotel room, and hitting the 
wrong note repeatedly. This "mistake" is a lucky one for 
listeners---"Mayfly" is one of my favorites on the album. The song's 
lyrical simplicity, coupled with Foucault's and Goodrich's funky guitar 
work, brings a lightness that is uncharacteristic of Foucault's earlier 
work. This upbeat vibe appears again on "4&20 Blues," a country waltz with 
Foucault playing electric pedal steel. The song, another highlight of the 
album, rocks with a ferocity unsurpassed on either of his two albums.

Foucault also shows his mastery of the murder ballad in "Doubletree." For 
this song, Foucault assumes the persona of a man hired to keep the mountain 
snow off railroad tracks for the coal trains. This song has an interesting 
twist, however, that I won't reveal here. (Curious readers can read the 
lyrics for themselves on Foucault's web site.) "Stripping Cane" also 
includes a fiddle-driven cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lodi," 
with backing vocals and fiddle work by Delmhorst.

Foucault sings with a maturity of someone twice his age of 28. Consider the 
title track, about trying to obtain the sweetness through the hard work of 
stripping the leaves from the sugar cane plant.

There's no more room for angels
To dance or even stand
Upon this pin entangled
Bleeding sugar from our hands
Bleeding ashes from our feet
Won't you help me count my sheep?
Won't you help me count my sheep tonight?

Those who like the deep-voiced blues of Kelly Jo Phelps will not be 
disappointed with Jeff Foucault. Between his two albums, Stripping Cane is 
definitely my favorite and the one I would recommend as the first purchase 
for new fans. This album will go a long way to solidifying Foucault's 
reputation nationally as an exceptional singer-songwriter.

Track Listing (All songs by Foucault, except as noted)

Cross of Flowers
Mayfly
Doubletree
Stripping Cane
The Bluest Blade
Pearl Handled Pistol
Northbound
4&20 Blues
Don't Look for Me
Tropic of Cancer
Lodi (John Fogerty)
Every New Leaf Over

Edited by David N. Pyles (dnpyles at acousticmusic.com)

Copyright 2004, Peterborough Folk Music Society and David Schultz. This 
review may be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.


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David N. Pyles
Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
82 Leadmine Road
Nelson NH 03457 USA
http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames
http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames/fame.htm
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