Preacher Boy

Preacher Boy might be a young white boy singing the blues, but think Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart more than Led Zeppelin and Bad Company, and throw in some Townes Van Zandt and Gillian Welch as well. For his fifth album, Preacher Boy (known to his mother by the decidedly less bluesy moniker Christopher Watkins) for the first time performs in a strictly solo and acoustic setting: just his agreeably smoky voice and vintage National slide guitar. Waits and Beefheart come immediately to mind because of Watkins' fearlessness when it comes to bending melodies to suit his own whim, not to mention the husky low register of his singing voice. But he's not really out to warp or subvert the blues, as shown by reverential but idiosyncratic readings of standards like Son House's "Death Letter" and Skip James' "Nehemiah James." Watkins understands that the idea is not to mimic one's influences, but to put them in the service of something new. That "old wine in a new bottle" context makes Demanding to Be Next Preacher Boy's best album yet.

by Stewart Mason - All Music Guide

Preacher Boy is somewhat like Keb’ Mo’ in his jazzing up of Delta blues styles, but with a more contemporary sound akin to Kelly Joe Phelps or Chris Whitley. The best cuts highlight his wonderful work on National Steel. - Rolling Stone

On his fifth album as Preacher Boy, Christopher Watkins' stripped-down country blues and folk features just him and his guitars: a 1936 National Steel, a 1938 Martin 0018-G nylon string and a Martin D-16 steel string. The solo acoustic format is a first for Watkins, who made his debut with a pair of albums on Blind Pig in the mid-90's and has toured and recorded with pop star Eagle-Eye Cherry. "Demanding To Be Next" demands attention instantly. On the tender opener "A Little Better When It Rains," Watkins blends fingerpicking and slide. His voice, a cross between those of Kelly Joe Phelps and Tom Waits, has an otherworldly quality that, whether natural or an affectation, makes him sound like no one else and suits his quirky songs well. Flatpicked folk song "Whistleman" packs detailed, offbeat imagery that recalls Dylan's best. Its ominous feeling gets under your skin, setting you up for the album's only cover a few tracks later, a strong reading of Son House's "Death Letter." Likewise, Watkins' slide on "Jackson Street" conjures the kind of old-time train songs he aspires to emulate. Watkins peppers his somber tales with sharp wit. On "My Gold Canoe," he tosses throwaway lines like "Jimmy can't crack corn/If he ain't got no ears" with references to a fourth World War and a passionate romance. Good luck trying to keep the chorus - "It's the very last night/Of the world we knew/And we're going to row on up to heaven/In my gold canoe" - out of your head.

By Michael Cote - Blues Revue