Steve Von Till — A Grave is a Grim Horse

Steve Von Till's reputation precedes him, as a member of Neurosis, a band who, on his watch, have experimented just about as much as possible within the bounds of punk and metal. A Grave is a Grim Horse is a continuation of Von Till's journey through gothic America, as well as folk, all filtered through a grimy whiskey glass. What strikes me immediately is that Von Till's voice sounds remarkably like Mark Lanegan, though I have yet to see it stated by anyone else. The music's pace and rustic melancholy could also be mistaken for Lanegan's style, especially his Sub Pop albums. You certainly can't fault Von Till for these similarities, perhaps it's just coincidental that the two have similar musical preferences.

A Grave is a Grim Horse, like Von Till's last couple of solo albums, includes fairly repetitive songs, and snail pacing. There's also a sense of tension and decay within the poetic lyrics. And for the most part, it's a strong, involving listen. There are four covers on the album, some fairly expected, others fairly surprising. Nick Drake and Townes Van Zandt, though musically different, are not unexpected figures for Von Till's interpretation. Drake's take on folk, though almost Yeatsian in its poetic eloquence, also exuded the depression and isolation which would eventually, tragically claim his life. This sense of isolationism fits into the fabric of Von Till's vision perfectly, and the arrangement is carefully tailored to suit the flow of the album, and best of all, far separate it from being merely a carbon copy of the original. He finds equal success covering Van Zandt's the Spider song.

More surprising are interpretations of songs by Nashville legend Mickey Newberry and country singer/actor Lyle Lovett. Newberry, though he surely wrote many depressing tunes, penned many a big hit, for a variety of stars in the 60's and 70's. And Lovett, who is still very much active today, seems miles away from what Von Till does as well. But he manages to make these tunes his own by reinterpreting them in such a way that they end up sounding like his songs. Really, the only fault with this album is just that - there's a homogeneous feel which doesn't allow for much variety. Yet it's a problem which is overcome by Von Till's ability to create powerful arrangements with simple elements.

The music, which is generally guitar based, is carefully accentuated by organ, fiddle and pedal steel. And Jeffrey Luck Lucas deserves considerable credit for framing much of the album's atmosphere with his haunting cello work. A Grave is a Grim Horse is not a big change of pace for Steve Von Till, but it is undeniably his best, most refined solo album to date.