Music: Seth Augustus: To the Pouring Rain

Our Take

Singer/songwriter Seth Augustus started off in the art-punk/experimental world, but after befriending blues artist Paul Pena he became his road manager/caretaker until Pena’s death in 2005. Because of this experience, Augustus is now a blues/folk musician who also incorporates elements of jazz and world music. This has proven to be a very good thing though, as his debut full length To the Pouring Rain is full of memorable songs and is sure to put him on quite a few people’s radar.

It seems appropriate that Augustus has chosen to make blues his primary genre as he has an extremely gravelly voice that is a perfect fit. While it seems likely that his raspy melodies will help Seth Augustus to stand out from some of the other singers out there, he is also helped out by some very eccentric and weird lyrical content. Some of the songs on To the Pouring Rain have traditional blues themes, but there are also some genuinely strange tracks that have a slightly bizarre sense of humor. When these lyrics are combined with Augustus’ pitch, it creates a very unique sound and style that is sure to give him an edge over other singer/songwriters.

As one might expect, all of the material on To the Pouring Rain can be categorized as blues, but there are a lot of other styles present as well. On some of the more memorable arrangements, Seth Augustus is able to blend elements of blues, folk, and even a little jazz and world music in order to create intricate melodies that really create a lasting impression. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the more traditional tunes aren’t worthy though as Augustus has written some great guitar licks that listeners are sure to enjoy. There is a surprising amount of variety to be found on this disc and it is clear that Augustus has a lot of skill as a songwriter.

To the Pouring Rain is an album that listeners will find themselves returning to on a regular basis, as the instrumental variety and slightly eccentric lyrical content are sure to grab their attention. Seth Augustus is off to a great start and it seems likely that he could become a name that people know if he continues to release material of this quality. If you’re looking for a new blues artist that is close to being on par with some of the bigger names, definitely give this disc a shot.

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Chris Dahlberg
January 15, 2010