Messenger (Joe Pug album)

Last updated
Messenger
Messenger by Joe Pug Album.png
Studio album by
Joe Pug
Released2010
Genre Folk, Acoustic
Label Lightning Rod Records
Joe Pug chronology
In the Meantime
(2010)		Messenger
(2010)		 Live at Lincoln Hall
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Paste 9.1/10 [1]

Messenger is Joe Pug's first full-length album. [1] [2]

Joe Pug American musician

Joe Pug is an American singer-songwriter from Greenbelt, Maryland. He has released two EPs, as well as the albums Messenger, The Great Despiser, Windfall and The Flood In Color.

Contents

In contrast to Pug's first EP, Nation of Heat , a full backing band supplements Pug's guitar, vocals and harmonica, a change featured most notably on an electric version of Nation of Heat's "Speak Plainly, Diana." Reviewers, like Steve Kolowich at the Washington City Paper, noted that, with Messenger, in contrast to Nation of Heat, Pug turns from declarative and extroverted to reflective and introspective:

His lyrics are less declarative, and sometimes quake with doubt: “Not So Sure” is a penitent ode to epistemology. “Unsophisticated Heart” is an admission of immaturity that literally ends with a whimper. “Disguised as Someone Else” is a fantasy in which the singer disavows his identity to hide from his regret. On the last record, Pug shouted, “I have done wrong, I will do wrong, there’s nothing wrong with doing wrong!” Here, he seems to tack on a meek amendment: “These days, I’m not so sure.” [3]

The album met critical acclaim, with Paste Magazine rating it 9.1/10, adding: “unless your surname is Dylan, Waits, Ritter or Prine, you could face-palm yourself to death trying to pen songs half as inspired as the 10 tracks on Joe Pug’s debut full-length.” [4]

Bob Dylan American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, author, and artist

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist who has been a major figure in popular culture for more than fifty years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (1964) became anthems for the civil rights movement and anti-war movement. His lyrics during this period incorporated a wide range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied pop-music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture.

Tom Waits American singer-songwriter and actor

Thomas Alan Waits is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. His music is characterized by his distinctive deep, gravelly voice and lyrics focusing on the underside of society. During the 1970s, he worked primarily in jazz, but since the 1980s his music has reflected greater influence from blues, vaudeville, and experimental genres.

Josh Ritter American musician

Josh Ritter is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author who performs and records with the Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.

Track listing

  1. "Messenger" – 4:23
  2. "How Good You Are" – 4:19
  3. "Not So Sure" – 4:35
  4. "The Sharpest Crown" – 3:58
  5. "The Door Was Always Open" – 2:49
  6. "The First Time I Saw You" – 3:34
  7. "Unsophisticated Heart" – 3:06
  8. "Disguised as Someone Else" – 3:34
  9. "Bury Me Far (From My Uniform)" – 4:07
  10. "Speak Plainly, Diana" – 3:17

Personnel

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References

  1. 1 2 Joe Pug: Messenger, Paste Magazine, retrieved 12 March 2014
  2. ↑ Messenger Joe Pug, Washington City Paper, retrieved 12 March 2014
  3. ↑ Kolowich, Steve. "Reviewed: Joe Pug's Messenger". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Prewitt, Catherine. "Getting to Know... Joe Pug". Paste. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
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