Deadstring Brothers – Silver Mountain
Press materials for the Deadstring Brothers lead one to believe that Kurt Marschke, the band’s lead singer and chief songwriter, was influenced primarily by country blues, R&B and honky-tonk, as well as the variety of rock that permeated FM radio in the ’70s. All of which may be true, but it’s pretty clear this guy spent most of his life preening in front of a mirror pretending he was Mick Jagger while figuring out how to play guitar riffs with all the panache and flair of Keith Richards.
There’s no shame in emulating Exile On Main Street, which is precisely the raison d’etre of the Deadstring Brothers. But as last year’s Starving Winter Report proved, and Silver Mountain improves, two significant elements bring this band beyond the level of simply paying tribute. The first, and most obvious, is Mascha Marjieh. Last year, she was simply contributing Richards-like backup vocals; this year, she sings lead or co-lead on most of the songs. Her husky, sultry alto provides the punch that horns did for the Stones.
Second, and more importantly, Marschke is a damn fine songwriter. “Queen Of The Scene”, “The Light Shines Within” and “Silver Mountain” are built on more than just Stonesy riffs. With their powerful melodic hooks, they could stand up to any other stylistic treatment, yet they work perfectly the way they are performed.