Blair Combest - Diamond

I know that singer-songwriters are a hard sell these days. Wearing your heart on your sleeve and bearing your soul isn't exactly hip. Bored and aloof is all the rage. But hey kids, variety is the spice of life and if you want to listen to some great whiskey soaked, damaged heart tunes - you can't go wrong with Combest. His music is a cross between alt-country and folk rock. His lyrics are compelling and cultivated. His obvious influences include Bob Dylan (eighties gospel Bob Dylan according to him) and Bruce Springsteen. Wow, talk about being off the cool radar. But it's the obvious maturity of his music and lyrics that set him apart as he transcends the perplexity of image and coasts through on pure forte. His ineffable stage presence and magnetic personlity are also a strength, not to mention he's not too hard on the eyes.

So, if you're a true music lover and not just a scenester, Combest does not disappoint. He is currently working on a new album, some songs were lost in the Easley-McCain Studio fire, but it should be finished pretty soon. It's a departure from his debut which was recorded with Snowglobe as the backing band. This time the tracks will be more stripped down with less instrumentation. He is currently working with Mark Stuart of The Secret Service as his bass player and is looking to put together a full band soon.

I had the pleasure of seeing Combest play Saturday night here in Memphis. It was a great show with great music, a tuned in audience, and entertaining banter. My one dissappointment with the entire evening was his lackadaisical rendition of his "hit" Diamond. This is my current favorite song he has written and I was looking forward to hearing it live. He introduced the song as one he was sick of playing, but I can't imagine he's played it anywhere near as many times as The Boss has played Thunder Road. Perspective is a virtue.


BONUS TRACK: Every Once In A While