A YEAR IN THE WILDERNESS - JOHN DOE
The “Wilderness” Doe sings about on his seventh solo album is an emotionally volatile place, filled with the anger and recrimination of romantic tumult mitigated by the cautious hope of gradual reconciliation. The X man (and Knitters principal) wraps all that up in a typically rich and engaging sonic palette, from the fiery roots rock of “Hotel Ghost” and the Dylan-esque “A Little More Time” to the Johnny Cash-style portrait of “The Meanest Man in the World,” the bluesy bite of “Big Moon” and the haunting quietude of “The Bridge” and “Darling Underground,” the latter co-written by X/Knitters mate Exene Cervenka. With help from ace instrumentalists (Dave Alvin, Greg Leisz and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach) and expertly cast vocal foils Aimee Mann, Jill Sobule and Kathleen Edwards, Doe has crafted a rewarding “Wilderness” adventure.
