JIM WHITE – WRONG-EYED JESUS (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.)
Jim White’s debut, Wrong-Eyed Jesus, comes complete with a curious written testimony entitled The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted “Wrong-Eyed Jesus!”. Sincere, and insisting it’s true, White comes across like a character straight out of a Flannery O’Conner story. Originally from Pensacola, Florida, White was raised in the Pentecostal church After what he describes as a “spiral of tragedy” a move to New York led to a career as a fashion model. For three years he traveled the world on high profile assignments, during which time he attempted to live the life of an ascetic. Summing up his philosophy in a recent interview White explained his philosophy- “If I said no to everybody about everything, somehow all the no’s would accumulate into one aggregate yes.” Abandoning modeling, his next move was to directed the feature-length movie, It’s a Beautiful World, a gloomy tale of deception and beauty. Only then, and almost by accident, did he turn to music. Overheard while singing alone, a friend encouraged White to record his songs. Purchasing substandard recording gear at a garage sale, a tape eventually reached David Byrne, who signed White to his label, Luaka Bop.
At times it’s next to impossible to pick up on exactly what White is saying thanks to a prominent southern drawl. The majority of songs deal with religion, spirituality, and life in general. Plucked banjos, steel guitar and half spoken vocals bring to mind early 20th century southern revivalists.. That’s not to say the stance is always serious. The Road That Leads To Heaven offers the self-depreciating sentiment: “She’s a brainy girl/that is good/she’s smarter than me/then so is wood.” Too wide ranging to fit into the currently popular No Depression scene, for those interested in something a bit more adventurous, White is worth searching out. Williams guests on the track Angel Land.
© John Cody 1997