If you've ever heard of Anders Osborne before, forget what you know. If you haven't heard his name before now, go out and get everything you can find, soak it all in, then forget what you know. Sure, Black Eye Galaxy still feels like an Anders Osborne album with saturated burgeoning blues/rock riffs set to howling lyrics of introspection; however, musically, Osborne has opened up his tone to include a bit more grit and growl than in his previous efforts. If the first two tracks, "Send Me a Friend" and "Mind of a Junkie", don't hit you over the head hard enough to hone in, let's just come right out with it: Anders Osborne is overcoming addiction, and this is his journal. So by the album's fifth track, "Black Tar", you start to see the clouds and confusion parting, only to be pulled right back in, riding high, before coming back down, depressed and insecure. And the ride resumes.
If you have even a basic understanding of addiction, you understand that the disease exists on two dimensions: heavenly highs and languishing lows. Black Eye Galaxy (the album) exists much like the actual Black Eye Galaxy, two incredible forces crashed into one another and pulling in different directions, where only one will survive. Anders no doubt understands the gravity of his addiction, penning lyrics like "I'm weak, Lord, but I won't bow down" and "Please, somebody, save me from my crazy mind". This isn't a musician in a studio struggling to write a great hook; this is a man using his music to overcome the struggle for his very soul. The highs and lows of the song sequence seem to suggest a cycle of abuse, rehab, relapse and finally redemption.
Musically, few performers have as diverse and deep pockets to pull from as Mr. Osborne. Like hidden gems hanging around the fringes, Black Eye Galaxy incorporates everything from tribal beats to reggae rhythms fused together to fit Anders own blend of bruised-and-battered-blues - like a scar on a supermodel. This album draws just as much inspiration from the ugly as the beautiful, the light as the dark, the black as the blue. As any junkie can tell you, there is no recipe for redemption. As any musician can tell you, there are no instructions for inspiration. Much like Dark Side of the Moon, Black Eye Galaxy deserves a straight-through listening to truly appreciate the tale of turmoil and turnaround relayed through the recording. As any readers of mine might know, honesty and emotional integrity are two key features of almost every album I consider "just plain good music", and Anders serves them up in spades... and hearts.
Highlights: "When Will I See You Again" and "Louisiana Gold"
P.S. This is my favorite album of 2012. I dubbed it as such on my first listening in March, and it still holds the title today.
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