After threatening for years to cut an album with his buddies from Crazy Horse, drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot, Phil Lee’s most recent album’s title is a sidelong nod to his days driving for Neil Young.
Lee sings like he’s been done wrong time and time again. Often, he fesses up to deserving his fate. Lyrically, he employs humor to joust, but at the very heart of his songs is a sense of humanity. In order to take apart the human condition, even chuckle at it, you must make the attempt to understand it. He does.
“No Exit Wound” suggests death by broken heart and features a cheezy organ à la the Sir Douglas Quintet. On “I Don’t Forget Like I Used To,” Lee sings “I keep remembering I love you,” and it would seem he shares songwriting DNA with the great, witty songwriter Roger Miller. And the backing vocals almost recall The Jordanaires.
He is a master of the loose, playful vibe. For Lee, it is serious business not taking himself too seriously. Aside from employing the Horse, he wisely utilizes world-class pickers as on “Party Drawers,” a perfect humorous country duet with Molly Pasutti answering the musical question: “Where were you when all of this was going on?” (He is also wise enough to provide work to local artist John Sieger, who illustrated the cover.)
Just when you think you have him figured out, Lee closes the album with the stunner “Sonny George,” who accidentally kills 11 kids with his 18-wheeler.
