A respectful recommendation from the Austin Music Minute: Secure Buffalo Nichols‘ The Fatalist on vinyl, sit down, and put those headphones on. Absorb it on every cellular level. The near-growl vocals of Carl Nichols ignite the atmosphere with a guttural presence. This time, there’s an electronic presence as well, building and shape-shifting every layer, from synth to samples of legendary and enigmatic Blues artist Charley Patton.
There are reviewers and critics who say Buffalo Nichols is breathing new life into the Blues. Nichols says this is not the case. He’s simply bringing a musical style, the root of every genre one could possibly imagine, into the future, to the here and now. The Fatalist shows that, while Nichols’ songwriting is rooted in modern times, the Blues remains a sounding board for artists expressing frustration and grief over many of the same problems that plagued the past. This may be a personal album, but there’s no denying its broader social implications, truth expressed in a most traditional form.
AMM fave Buffalo Nichols returns to Austin for a performance tomorrow night, Friday Dec. 8, at Antone’s. Songwriter Jude Brothers opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
