Jesse Malin has re-released his classic Fine Art of Self Destruction album featuring Ryan Adams on guitar and production duties.
The record’s classic New York sound influenced by cinema, particularly Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets as much as street life and rock n’ roll underground characters paints a picture of Malin’s life in Brooklyn at the start of the century.
He brought many of the songs to life again for a live performance in Glasgow at Stereo including Queen Of The Underworld. Both live and on wax it remains a haunting rock ballad full of pathos and uncertainty.
The loose grove of TKO has lost none of its infectious power with Springsteen piano and a Replacements hook which really shines through on this bright sounding 20th anniversary edition. Recorded over six days in the Big Apple, Fine Art remains urgent and vital, especially during Riding On The Subway.
Malin is a master of summoning the right energy and mainlining into your soul. Downliner offers a reflective Kris Kristofferson Sunday Morning Coming down vibe, a lamentation but not without hope.
A limited version of the album features a second disc of extras and sleeve notes by Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem.
