JON SPENCER – SONGS OF PERSONAL LOSS AND PROTEST

Do you ever have moments of FOMO? Well, not really a fear, but you think you missed out because you’re inundated with a ridiculous amount of emails, and something may just have been, um, missed? Or maybe no one even bothered to invite you to the party because they didn’t have your phone number or even email address, and you weren’t top of mind. That could have been the issue, who knows?

The last interaction I had with Jon Spencer was 2018’s Spencer Sings The Hits, and since then, it’s been relatively silent. Now I’ve followed Spencer’s career for (gasp!) decades, and I was this years old when I discovered 2024’s Sick Of Being Sick. While Spencer is the individual who normally thinks out of the box, he tapped into Bobby Lees’ rhythm section, Kendall Wind (bass), and Macky Spider Bowman (drums) to fill out the scuzzy blues sound he’s all but held the trademark to for years. It might have been what you expected: rough, free, and exploding with creativity. With just 8-songs, it was a hit and run, and didn’t allow you to get comfortable. For his third solo effort, Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest (Bronzerat Records), Spencer has once again enlisted the duo for help.   

With the new album, Spencer hasn’t remained complacent, going through the motions; that’s clear, having Bowman & Wind joining him again. Sick seemed to have brought the hunger back, while Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest revel in the loose rage of his experience within the blues. From the onset, the band plays off one another on “Fanfare” as Spencer plays through open chording, as the rhythm follows suit, backing him through stops and starts, but when the band roars through at the minute-and-a-half mark, everything changes! Ok, there’s definitely something here. It’s non-stop though, and “Vermin Attack!” takes it up a notch with power chords leading us all down a path that seems out of place, but then, of course, it all comes together and starts to make sense. Everything is rooted in what we’ve come to expect within the bluesy context of the songs, but then you have tracks like “Knock ‘Em Out,” which comes with pure, unabashed Spencer flavor circa the Extra Width / Orange timeline. Mind you, it’s not the sound (well, maybe), but it is the youthful energy we found back then. The recording is raw dogging it, no protection, while the vitality & vigor of the song is no holds barred, filled with a singular rhythm and melody that’s infectious.

There’s a wild assortment of good times going on here. “Step On The Gas” is the obligatory good time, ready to move quicker, faster, speeding on through when Spencer exclaims, “Come on baby, let’s step on the gas.” It’s followed by a wall of backing harmonies, and yeah, if there ever was a good time, it’s right here! Guitars are sometimes filtered through effects, but it’s never an issue that dominates or overcomes the song’s melody and tactical bounce. While this might be a Spencer project, Wind & Bowman are masterful with their respective instruments as well, contributing much more than Spencer bargained for. It all works to the music’s benefit, and here it’s all tied together and comes to fruition. It’s magic.

At the risk of repeating myself again, I stand behind what I said about Spencer and the band; it’s raw without fear, and as rugged & tough as anything. Songs Of Personal Loss And Protest is bringing Spencer to an entirely new generation of blues and rock enthusiasts who may not be familiar with his songwriting. Spencer’s live performances were always badass, and here, it’s captured on these recordings.