Read our review of the latest impressive offering from Rod Picott
‘Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil’
Rod Picott
Release Date: July 19, 2019
By Rob Dickens
Singer/songwriter Rod Picott is in a rich vein of form.
Back in 2015, we extolled the virtues of this Nashville-based artist’s album Fortune. Since then he has released 2018’s Out Past The Wires, published two books of poetry, one book of short stories, and has written rough drafts of his first novel and screenplay.
Now we have Rod Picott’s new record Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil released on July 19. This new collection reflects the lyrical dexterity we have come to expect, but here you can find a level of intimacy and imagery. Picott lays his feelings all along the line and, in fact, all along the liner notes which include not only the lyrics but a paragraph about each song (a boon for us reviewers!).
Maybe the intensity presented on Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil can be attributed to a seriously troubling health scare faced by Picott some months back. The initial diagnosis was that his heart was about to either seize up or “jump out of your chest and it will be messy”. Severe chest pains for a lengthy period plus undergoing back surgery would certainly make anyone reflect on their mortality. (Picott’s health is now in check).
That feeling of intense humanity seemingly infuses every word and breath of the album. As well, Picott chose to use a modest approach, recording all the tracks alone, at home, with no engineer then turned them over to Neilson Hubbard to mix. It was as if discarding items of clothing and presenting himself and his work boldly naked. Citing song highlights should be proscribed. It pays not to separate these twelve tracks. What we there have is a true collection – one that is raw and without artifice.
Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil Track List:
1. Ghost
2. Bailing
3. Mama’s Boy
4. Mark
5. Spartan Hotel
6.Too Much Rain
7. A Beautiful Light
8. A 38 Special & A Hermes Purse
9. 80 John Wallace
10. A Guilty Man
11. Sunday Best
12. Folds Of Your Dress
Via Broken Jukebox Media
Read our review of the latest impressive offering from Rod Picott
