Ever wonder what a lone, bad ass cowboy riding across the plain during a down poor in the pitch black of night would have playing on his iPod? Wonder no longer, Lee Harvey Osmond is here with a rotating posse of 17 strong, which even includes a few Cowboy Junkies. Tom Wilson (from Blackie and the Rodeo Kings) heads up this rugged band of Acid Folk’ pioneers for the bands first release, A Quiet Evil.
The album’s title more than sets the mood for the entire album. Lee Harvey Osmond’s stew adds pleasant portions of Cowboy Junkies, Velvet Underground, Neil Young and Morphine in with their own unique blend of simmering delights. Hypnotic, melancholy rhythms are complimented by dusty horns, chiming steel guitars, haunting guitar riffs and mellow hand percussion. The smoky/soul piercing vocals of Tom Wilson follow the same cadence with beautiful surprises of accompaniment by Margo Timmons (Cowboy Junkies).
Dark subjects are rendered in most of the lyrics, yet they do not leave the listener depressed. The lyrics are more an offering of thought for one to make your own conclusions from. “Lucifer’s Blues” is a good old fashioned face off with the devil (reminiscent of Charlie Daniels Band, House of the Rising Sun) and “Parkland” speaks about the assignation of JFK…which may have inspired the band’s name or vice versa. “I’m Going to Stay That Way” tells the age old yarn of losing your mind over lost love and includes Margo Timmons, duet style. The stand out track, “Angels in the Wilderness” questions spirituality with its soulful saunter and sweet lingering strings.
So, if you are in need of a humble companion in your journey down any shadowy path, grab yourself Lee Harvey Osmond, partner, and ride on out into the stormy night.
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