With his slightly pomp’d 1940s hair, wide-legged high-waisted jeans and banjo in hand, you could well assume that Pokey Lafarge has jumped on the ‘everything is new again’ train. But you would be very wrong. LaFarge has the best of ragtime, blues, swing, jazz and everything in between running through his veins. This is no mere shtick, this is his lifeblood and it’s thoroughly beautiful.
Something In The Water (released on independent Rounder Records) is the much-anticipated follow-up to LaFarge’s eponymous album, which was released on Jack White’s Third Man Records back in 2013. This album takes in a wider breadth of influences, with slightly more of the whimsy that Pokey LaFarge fans have come to know and love.
There’s a ragtime jazz bent to Wanna Be Your Man, while Underground delves into hip-swinging big band territory, and LaFarge shows off his country chops on Actin’ A Fool. The title track displays Lafarge’s sense of humour – it’s a ditty about a crazy girlfriend, and you can practically smell the fried chicken, which by the way, she’s cooking in her underwear. The album also features two blues standards – When Did You Leave Heaven and All Night Long – as well as two beautiful odes to LaFarge’s beloved American Midwest; Cairo, Illinois and Knocking the Dust Off the Rust Belt Tonight.
While LaFarge’s music is decidedly old-timey, he puts his own stamp on it, which makes it a beautifully new experience. He’s maturing and expanding his repertoire, both musically and lyrically, and this effort is a step up in sophistication from his last.
BY ISABELLE ODERBERG
