Johnny Dowd - That's Your Wife on the Back of My Horse (2015)

Time to dig out the bunting and start baking those celebratory cakes, the master of the absurd Ithaca's brightest, exploratory mind, Johnny Dowd, returns with a new album, That's Your Wife On The Back of My Horse.' For a musician forever pushing the envelope to new and exciting places, to turn the clock back and essentially return to the spirit and recording processes of his first album, 1998's Wrong Side Of Memphis, seems a little surprising. Well, rest assured this is Texan-born Johnny Dowd we are talking about here, the arch-mercurial sonic chameleon and adventurist, not some everyday revivalist. For That's Your Wife on the Back of My Horse, Dowd is totally his own man, both literally and metaphorically. Alone, holed up in the studio, with only his 70's drum machine, synths and the odd guitar for company (besides the occasional visit of Anna Coogan to add counterpoint vocals), this is Dowd at his most vulnerable, experimental, and uncompromising best. Dark, humorous, deeply inventive, and oh so goddamn catchy, Dowd once again underlines why he is one of America s true geniuses. From the opening title track to the self-derogatory closer, Teardrops Once I was a winner, I just couldn't lose. . . A boy wonder this is Dowd channelling that dark, mischievous inner muse to stunning effect on a set of new songs that are totally unique, yet instantly Dowd! Johnny Dowd has released a number of critically-acclaimed albums and was featured on all manner of compilations over the years. His songs featured heavily in the cult musical documentary Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus, and he has worked alongside artists such as Jackie Leven, The Pine Valley Cosmonauts, and Jim White.