Wooden Wand and the Sky High B - Second Attention (CD) |

Possessed with the heart and soul of Neils both Hagerty and Young, Wooden Wand leads the band - featuring members of Skygreen Leopards, The Vanishing Voice and Davenport - through ten rollicking tunes that recall such cracked masterpieces as Tonight's The Night and Mendocino. Wand has become somewhat well known in certain circles for his surreal lyrical imagery, an uppity blend as informed by Robyn Hitchcock as by the Zimmer Man himself, and on Second Attention, he spares no detail, whether discussing the pitfalls of the American idealist, sneakily tossing in references to Alexander Jodorowsky films, or weighing in on Stanley Burroughs' controversial guide to fasting, The Master Cleanser. But to what do we owe this newfound barbarism, this unhinged performance that has no precedent on any of Wand's previous sides? Is it the rubber-legged and starry eyed band that's to blame for leading our fearless narrator into the dark rock and roll abyss? Or perhaps it was the surroundings themselves that caused the mostly urbane Wand to rebel against the distinctly beauteous and pastoral? Maybe the whole godforsaken gang just spent too much time listening to - and possible misinterpreting - Songs of Love and Hate?No matter. There is beauty in the periphery but more in the small details. Second Attention is where East truly meets West. Where the shimmer suddenly gets grimmer. Sunshine meets grease. It will likely be remembered as the album that remains after any and all 'movements' inevitably move on.Or, perhaps more to the point - to paraphrase the late, great Townes Van Zandt - don't let the sunshine fool ya, motherfucker.

• Format: CD
• Label: Kill Rock Stars
• Catalog Number: CD-KRS-456