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Tony Furtado
THESE CHAINS
(Funzalo)
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This disc marks Tony Furtado’s transition from gypsy acoustic-slide-guitarist to singer-songwriter with a bottleneck on his finger. His voice is effective but a bit slight, with its narrow range and thin tone, and his lyrics sometime lean toward hippie cant, but his arrangements — which expand his earlier acoustic bluegrass- and blues-inflected sound with electric textures — and often rich imagery counter that with their own mesmeric strength. "Oh Father Mine" uses acoustic and electric guitars, organ, drums, and a gentle vocal melody to capture the swirl of emotions that come with the loss of a parent. Furtado is also very good at establishing grooves, whether they’re powered by gritty electric guitar, like "These Chains," which is about seeking spiritual freedom, or a full-ensemble sound that uses banjo, bass, drums, and accordion to embellish solid riffs like the Bo Diddley beat that holds down the bottom of "Good Stuff." Furtado melds a jam-band æsthetic with deep traditional roots on many entries, including "Swayback Jim," an outsider’s story carried by his acoustic guitar that echoes Mississippi Fred MacDowell and Appalachian banjo man Dock Boggs. An instrumental called "Doc’s Bog" is an obvious homage, and running the gamut of emotional triggers that a slide-guitarist is capable of, from low, dirty growls to sweet purring and crying volume swells, it’s proof that Furtado hasn’t neglected his chops in the course of his investigation of songwriting. (Tony Furtado appears this Tuesday, October 19, at Johnny D’s, 17 Holland Street in Davis Square; call 617-776-2004.)
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