Navasota
WILL QUINLAN & THE DIVINERS
(Ironweed)
Navasota, a reference to an East-Central Texas crossroads town, is dedicated "In loving memoriam" to local alt-country luminary Will Quinlan's mother. Many of the songs seem to be brilliantly detailed odes and eloquent prayers to her. He's accompanied on the collection by co-producer Steve Connelly's ace guitar/Dobro/mandolin/pedal steel work, Rebekah Pulley's crystalline backing vocals and a mostly subdued, spot-on rhythm section. Remembering one's mother in song, without sounding maudlin, is no easy task. Quinlan pulls it off on a batch of numbers that demand close inspection, tackling sensitive subject matter with courage and finesse. 4 stars
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2008.