Jesse Welles is a musician in a living tradition; whether he is canonized within his lifetime or without, he doesn’t much seem to care: he just keeps moving.
Already an underground rock n roll influence, Welles disappeared and re-emerged a folk wordsmith; a quick witted bard on acoustic guitar, his voice reflecting a hard-sung existence, though it’s hard to tell with Jesse, his disarming smirk can lead you to doubt even the most black and white evidences.
His lyrical range (from a doomed Whitman to an optimistic McCarthy, from pacifistic aggressions to oppressively bleak honesties) keeps up with his fingers; his guitar work would be enough in itself for most artists.
Welles will break your mind’s window with a brick and stay to convince you the pieces are worth putting back together. “Nobody get too comfortable.”
