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Posted by Joseph Bridges on Thursday, November 26, 2009
Under: Reviews
Artist: Asylum Street Spankers
Title: God’s Favorite Band
Label: Yellow Dog Records
Genre: Folk/Gospel
When a band calls itself a postmodern gospel band, there are things that come to mind that are not exactly endearing. Jug band usually indicates a kind of folksy twang that is reminiscent of Deliverance and gospel usually excludes most listeners to music in general as somewhat sentimental and hokey, but upon just one listen to God’s Favorite Band breaks all preconceived ideas.
Calling this album a gospel album also is a misnomer because of the numerous checks on what would be called irreverent jaunts on tracks such as “Right and Wrong” and the classic by George Gershwin “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” But, at the heart of it all, this album really is gospel. “Gospel music is at the root of every genre we consider American,” says co-bandleader Christina Marrs, who also says with a grin, “You can be a fan of gospel music without ever stepping foot in a church.”
Many of the songs selected here on this eleven track album stem from a Sunday morning gospel brunch frequented by some of the original founding members of the band. Not only was traditional folk gospel music presented in context, but the group of people attending included the actress Andie McDowell, former first lady “Lady Bird” Johnson, and the singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. These sessions provided all the inspiration needed to put into song classics with a country and show tune vivacity.
Marrs also says, “When you’re singing call-and-response songs, it can really put you in this trance mode. The lyrics aren’t really what it’s about-instead; it’s the sound, the music of those voices coming together. It’s so different that the music I grew up with in Catholic school. This will lift you out of your chair. You could be an atheist or an agnostic, and you’ll still find it beautiful and uplifting.” There is no better way to sum up these songs, but pure fun from track to track and all the way from beginning to end.
