Charlie Parr - Roustabout

If Seasick Steve’s success proves that there’s still a space in the record industry for modern day performances of traditional American music, then this haunting album from Charlie Parr is bound to do well. A slice of dark, haunting Americana, Roustabout navigates through Delta blues, bluegrass and folk like a prospector drifting along the Mississippi, the stark production sounding like a Lomas recording with the lo-fi dust blown off. Parr’s voice is suitably authentic, and is particularly effective on the ominous God Moves On the Water, on which his voice is imbued with the growly authority of a Lead Belly or Son House. If you’re interested in finding out about the music that underpins the pop of today, but are hesitant to delve into crackly field recordings, then Roustabout is the perfect start.