UNCLE SINNER – BALLADS AND MENTAL BREAKDOWNS

Normally I get frustrated when there is little to no information about a band readily available, but for Canada’s Uncle Sinner I think the air of mystery plays into what they’re doing.

Uncle Sinner is Uncle Sinner (Mike B.) on vocals, banjo, slide guitar and guitar along with Fuller Vengeance (Matt McLeod) on backing vocals, bass, mandolin, guitar and banjo. All of their material is recorded in Fuller’s home studio somewhere in Winnipeg. Mike’s been hooked on old blues and old-time music since the age of 13 and over time he’s found that the more intense and idiosyncratic the music, the more he liked it. Upon hearing “When Jesus Comes” the first time I knew I needed to know more about Uncle Sinner and suspected the more I heard, the more I’d like.

Ballads and Mental Breakdowns is largely a minimalist, dark country/gothicana album of covers with a few originals. This isn’t your average covers album though, to quote Mike, “I pick the songs and adjust them for my needs, trying to hammer them into a shape where I can sing them without being phony or a wanna be.” The results are these banjo driven, stripped down, twisted, poked and sometimes reworded vaguely familiar versions of familiar works.

The thing I like the most about these songs is that despite their sparse minimal arrangements the songs manage to convey an overall felling of menace. When asked about that, Mike responded in a manner that’s best quoted untouched: “I think there’s something kind of anti-social about the music. It’s agitated, probably because I tend to be agitated. There are lots of fun bands out there, even in Winnipeg, that will play bluegrass or blues in a way that is conducive to drinking, dancing and having a good time. This is good, and sometimes I like to see that sort of thing myself, but I don’t really see much space for Uncle Sinner in that market. If you’re not listening close it’s not going to sound very good. Then again, if you listen too close too often maybe you’ll end up in a rocking chair, batting a swinging light bulb or sharpening a knife that’s already pretty damned sharp.” Let me tell you, I’ve been listening pretty close as of late and I’m typing this from a…….oh shit!….from a rocking chair.

Listen with caution. It may be Essential Listening but it may also be hazardous to your mental well being.

Uncle Sinner – When Jesus Comes
Uncle Sinner – Drama Queen Blues
Uncle Sinner – Old Rub Alcohol Blues

Uncle Sinner on myspace, Buy Ballads and Mental Breakdowns