On his latest album Lincoln Durham further explores those demons that haunt his music. It is again built from the ground up from his voice and guitar with some additional textures to add colour and a strong percussive element supplied by the very solid talent of Rick Richards on drums. There is some gravel in Durham's voice and grit in the songs that comes from somewhere deep and dark. There is something of the hellfire preacher at work here … "Lord strike us down, So we may see, That all mankind can bleed" (Strike Us Down).
There is no compromise in George Reiff's production and it suits the elemental nature of the songs. He continues in the tradition of the traveling bluesman, someone who manages to bring pleasure through the pain of his music. He opens with the statement that "here's a story about a girl who can't seem to quit killing men". I suppose it's all about the company you keep and in some cases here you best keep that company to yourself. That song Annie Departee is as hard as nails and running on rusted rails that take you into a mine that ultimately will bring up a nugget of pleasure.
That approach runs through the album and sets Durham up as a self-contained exponent of modern day though ageless blues. Exodus Of The Deemed Unrighteous may not suit everyone's taste but there is something positive and uplifting in listening to these songs of exodus and righteousness. There are others who plough a similar furrow playing live as a one man band but who add something more to their recordings and Durham has found his sound that has it's lighter moments (Keep On Allie) sitting alongside the harder howls of sin. The end result will, however, not find you sitting on the fence.