Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots

This marks, by my count, the ninth article I've written for this site concerning either Jay Munly, Slim Cessna or both. It's certainly no secret around these parts that I'm a tremendous fan of these guys; I've seen them half a dozen times or more, I've done a couple of interviews with them, and I've enjoyed watching their bands, musical styles, and songwriting strengths develop. Munly, who here fronts an assemblage of musical talents he calls the Lee Lewis Harlots, has dramatically expanded the scope and musical variety of his solo efforts from album to album. While his previous solo disc, Jimmy Carter Syndrome, was easily his most accomplished and musically intriguing release to that point, his new, expanded backing band seems to have driven him to an entirely new level of originality and art.
If you've had the pleasure of experiencing Munly's muse on previous albums, you'll immediately notice how much the Harlots' string section adds to Munly's alternately low-voiced-solemn and high-voiced-frenetic vocal styles. The fiddles and cello add drama to his already earthy, frequently tragic narratives, yet never slip into melodrama or self-parody. In addition, Munly seems to have brought over some of the tempo and arrangement variety that he and Slim have made a hallmark of the Auto Club's efforts. While previous Munly albums have been dominated by downtempo songs detailing gothic rural stories, this volume includes several uptempo songs. Admittedly, they are uptempo songs detailing gothic rural stories, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The album starts strongly, with a big, hollow, repeating guitar figure tightening like a clenched fist. Munly, in low voice, counterpoints himself on the chorus with mid-range chanting overlaid with the sort of yodeling ululation that is normally Mr. Cessna's stock-in-trade. "Big Black Bull Comes Like A Caesar" builds from a two-note acoustic riff to an insistent, string-accented affair that's all tension; it culminates in swirling instrumentation and ghostly female backing vocals, backing up Munly's red-faced ranting.

Further album highlights include, but are not limited to:

"Another Song about Jesus, A Wedding Sheet, and a Bowie Knife", the appeal of which is nicely encapsulated in its initial lyrics: "Someone needs to take / a rusty Bowie knife to you / from your groin to your chest, boy / and spill the truth / that way you might touch / your insides." Weirdly, these lyrics spill out in a quiet, melodic stream, and not the apoplectic screech you might assume.

"Song Rebecca Calls 'that birdcage song, Which Never Was Though Now Kind Of Is Because of Her Influence..." From spoken-word opening to sparsely-sung initial voice, to full-on psycho hoedown, it's a perfectly paced six minutes of weirdness.

"The Leavening of the Spit-Bread Girls" features some brilliant back-and-forth between Munly and the female harlots. The icing on the cake is the girls' "Wop-bop-a-doo-bop" bit.

"Jacob Dumb" leans hard on the violins, and the song's waltz-time rhythm provides a tasty contrast with the other cuts.

Oh, and he sings the entirety of one track in falsetto, because it's about a castrato. In a men's prison.

Munly and the Harlots have done a tremendous job of fleshing out and adding drama to Munly's core gothic country sound; the expanded instrumentation and true band dynamic do wonders to improve what was already a singular sound. The disc stands as both the apex of Munly's solo work, and an excellent entry point into the rich world of his imagination.



-- Brett McCallon



- Splendid Magazine

The tireless efforts of unsuspecting wayward souls are bound to turn up a few surprises when scouring for exciting new music. One such welcomed surprise is Jay Munly’s latest album, Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots (a co-release by Smooch Records and Alternative Tentacles Records). Many newcomers to country-music styling have a vague understanding and appreciation for what typifies this particular genre. Their search often narrowly focuses on country artists such as Toby Keith, The Dixie Chicks or Shania Twain, because these are the mainstay of commercial country stations. This overtly catchy, radio-friendly and fun-lovin’ clean country fun is simply not an aesthetic that Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots produce.

Inspired more by the enigmatically wistful facets of traditional country music, Munly regales us with personal tales of earthly woe, inexorable darkness and spiritual uncertainty. These thematic elements work extremely well in conjunction with Munly’s stylized singing. Additionally, the admixture of violins, cellos and lonesome guitar accentuate the vividly powerful, albeit highly unusual, lyrical content. The presence of hauntingly melodic female vocals enables the album with a glimmering ethereal quality. Previous releases featured mostly male harmony.

Having said that, Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots is not quite as strong a release as its predecessor, Jimmy Carter Syndrome (2002). That earlier recording was astonishingly consistent musically and artistically. A few selections on this most-recent album pale in comparison. "Another Love Song About Jesus, a Wedding Sheet and a Bowie Knife" is a classic example, because it feels a bit aurally removed from the other tracks. It’s a little too light and airy-sounding, but perhaps that’s intentionally meant to contrast the song’s harrowing words of murderous betrayal. Still, such songs diminish the continuity while progressing through the musical content.

Although Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots is subtly flawed, these minor blemishes are balanced by such irresistible gems as "Big Black Bull Comes Like a Caesar," "Ragin’ Cajun’," "Amen Corner" and "The Leavening of the Spit-Bread Girls." This CD includes a companion DVD, complete with band photographs and Munly’s spoken-word rendition of his own songs. It's nothing too fancy, just a nice bonus. I certainly look forward to hearing more from these talented folks real soon.


Contributor: Eli Ellsworth
- Agouti Music

"ORCHESTRAL MAYHEM BACKING UP A STORY-TELLIN' CROONER WHO COULD SHARE A BOTTLE WITH TEH BEST OF 'EM."

Tom Wait,s Nick Cave ... they'd probably want the better half of the bottle, bu if you count the Harlots' string section, we could work up a nice respectable tab with no trouble at all. This is the first time I've heard of Munly, but after this grueling display of gloomy country ballads, I might have to do some shopping. He looks a bit like he could be related to Lurch, from the Addams Family, but who's going to pay attention when there's harlots about? And in the hase of alcohol that's bound to be present at this sort of gig, you probably won't be able to see that far anyway. Just try to keep your feet and let the vocal range and intensity sink into your tired old bones. Come to think of it, Nick and Tom can afford their own damn bottle. We're going to need the rest of this for the DVD that comes with ... which isn't really a DVD, but more of a slide show to go with the album. There is a section with no music, however, sort of like a Munly poetry reading, but with lyrics. Sort of strange and terrifying, but nicely different from the usual shoddy video rehash that accompanies CDs these days.

[4 out of 5 stars].

Ren Scarab - Chain-Whipped

Despite being dubbed the "front sideman" in Denver's rockabilly roadshow Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Jay Munly would have a hard road overcoming Slim's powerful personality. Munly writes a number of songs for that band and performs with them, but perhaps it's the desire to stretch his unique musical influences that prompt his solo performances, which often feature upwards of six or eight people on stage playing a host of instruments from strings and keys to lap steel and accordion.


Munly's latest effort, with a backing band dubbed the Lee Lewis Harlots, is without a doubt one of the strongest albums to come from Denver's confusing yet stimulating blend of musical styles that features the goth-country of 16 Horsepower, Slim Cessna's rockabilly blend, and Devotchka's Eastern European-influenced rock. This is Munly catapulting his way to the front of the pack, and there is not a single disappointing song on this epic 15-track disc. There is, however, so much going on that playing it on repeat is highly recommended.


The Harlots provide a perfect backing of upbeat, country-, folk-, and gothic-influenced rock, from angelic choruses to strings and more. But the show is all about Munly himself. His voice is perfect no matter what range he sings in, and in fact on "Cassius Castrato the She-Male of the Mens Prison" he demonstrates that while going from a high-pitched falsetto to a low, almost growling tenor. His guitar playing is upbeat and tight. But really, you're buying into the Munly experience on the profound storytelling that will simultaneously excite, repulse, and titillate the masses.


A read through the lyrics on this release read like old-time folk stories passed through the mind of a brilliant songwriter. Take the incest-ridden lyrics from "Big Black Bull Comes Like a Caesar," which perfectly combines rich cello and striking acoustic guitar: "My parents up and passed when I was none than three. I forced myself on my brother, made him watch me swell." Or consider "Cassius Castrato the She-male of the Men's Prison," whose theme is evident in the title: "Boys I got none of nothin' left to trade, so I cut off my ear and went to the gate / The guards did not smile, in their buffalo voices said, 'we need more' / I severed my left hand I pulled all my teeth, I left on my right hand to wield my piece / I disconnected my testicles, gave 'em over to the prison guards, but, the guards said we need more." He even throws in a reference to his buddy Slim Cessna, like the line "You'll never be as slim as Slim" on "A Gentle Man's Jihad." Even Munly's song titles are storytelling, such as the moniker for the haunting and then rollicking "Song Rebecca Calls, 'That Birdcage Song,' Which Never Was Though Now Kind of is Because of Her Influence..."


It's hard to pick the best song here, but the wonderful "The Leavening of the Spit-Bread Girls" is probably the my favorite track, with gorgeous cello and amazing vocal treatment. It features Munly singing with angelic female singers backing up with "Yes we will believe, we will believe" and, at one point, a surprisingly effective scatting portion. The extremely catchy and upbeat "Of Silas Fauntleroy's Willingness to Influence the Panel" is a perfect break near the end of the album. The moody atmosphere created on the up-tempo "My Second Salvation Army Choir" is brilliant, and "The Denver Boot Redux" is similarly beautiful, riding a perfect mix of acoustic guitar and strings, with moments of intensity in the choruses.


For those truly brave at heart, the album also contains a second disc, a DVD that has the entire album in surround sound, images to go with the songs, and even the lyrics to the songs with the artist reading them in his own voice.


There's not enough space to rave about the brilliance of this release. One moment, I feel the album rocks fantastically, and the next I'm swayed by its brilliant beauty. I'm fascinated by Munly's storytelling lyrics (and the dark places those stories must come from). The production is immaculate, and the sheer quantity of music nearly overpowering. There's not a bad moment here, and that's extremely rare. This is truly brilliant, and if Munly can't be bestowed the genius tag quite yet, he's submitted his application.



-Jeff Marsh
02/23/05 - Delusions of Adequacy