Review of Smoke and Mirrors from Harp Magazine

Jule Brown is the Nom De Rock of Mark Holland, who with his twin brother Michael led the criminally underrated North Carolina roots-rock band Jennyanykind back in the '90s (their great Revelator used to be ubiquitous in cut-out bins). Co-produced by Luna's Dean Wareham, who also contributes guitar, and Southern Culture on the Skids' Rick Miller, Smoke and Mirrors isn't far removed from Jennyanykind's low-key, rough-and-tumble country-blues swagger. And that's a good thing. Holland's scratchy moan of a voice suits the beaten-but-not-defeated tone of "The Losers," "Big Time Loser," and "Can't Get It Right" (the songs aren't as comically depressing as their titles), and he slips easily from the surf-rock zip of "Rhythm And Booze" to the swampy cover of Charley Patton's "Green River Blues." Reminiscent of Basement Tapes/Highway 61 Revisited-era Dylan, Smoke and Mirrors' slow-burning rockers reflect the past but never mimic it. - Harp Magazine

VISIT THE AUDIO PLAYER FOR SAMPLES

1. Do The Best You Can 2. Every Night There's A Dance 3. The Losers 4. Where Are You? 5. Green RIver Blues 6. Big Time Loser 7. Rhythm And Booze 8. Can't Get It Right 9. Talkin' To The Judge 10. Young Boy Listen 11. You Can Do It Overnight