Dudley Saunders
The Emergency Lane
Fang Records

Dudley Saunders stated out as a performance artist and his work holds a peculiar magnetism. He pens literate, lyrical songs with a dangerous edge.

"Love Song for Jeffrey Dahmer" for instance sees him intoning 'You're cuffed to me so you know I won’t ever leave' in a dusky hush. If you don't listen closely it might slip you by just as a soft love song, much like Nick Cave's "Where the Wild Roses Grow" did. Maybe the title would be a hint even to the dimmest of consumers though. "Take Me Home Again" has a distinct rhythm and probably cautiously optimistic lyrics. The vocal is resplendent and Saunders peculiar talent blossoms.

"Jesus Didn’t Love Us Enough" darkly looks at the disenchanted, an fearlessly shines a light where most would fear to tread. Here he feels like a natural heir to Warren Zevon and other such chroniclers of the darker sides of life. It's heart-wrenching songs, but they are not cheaply sensationalistic. Besides, this is no fairytale world we live in. It's ugly and brutal and sometimes if you're lucky, it's beautiful for a heartbeat. Saunders is a songwriter for these times, and how.

Copyright © 2009 Anna Maria Stjärnell