It's not uncommon for a musician to miss the mark when tagging their own style, not so with Winnipeg's Uncle Sinner.
He plays a potent brew that harkens back to the time when the blues and country hadn't ambled off on their congruent yet separate paths. He calls it "primoridal stomp", and that sums it up nicely.
In a way you know what you're in for with the debut release "Ballads and Mental Breakdowns". Gritty, gothic americana, simple song structures, masterfully played (but spare) insturmentation (guitar, banjo, foot-stomping) and, of course, the voice.
You'd be disappointed if it wasn't a raspy thing, well aged with whiskey and smoke. You won't be disappointed. Uncle Sinner's voice is perfect for the songs, rough but not nearly as worn as that of Mark Lanegan. There's a clarity to both is vocals and to the production that is a welcome change from the self-styled ultra-low-fi favored by many roots musicians.
Traditional music scholars many find amusement in identifying some of the source material that Uncle Sinner reworks/reweaves on his first CD, the rest of us are free to sit back and just enjoy the music.
