Down Those Tracks
Cletus Black
Night Wax

Fast Rails
Jesse Hernandez
Ocean Media

There are two ways that acoustic guitar-based introspection can go for you in this week's Cool Cleveland sounds: it can swirl into a gritty, bluesy, Honkytonk vibe with a darker, Nick Cave/ Leonard Cohen bent and expectedly minor falls; or it can be a more hopeful, East-Coast-Slow style filled with major lifts and a taste of 70s AM-radio magic. Either way, it's definitely good stuff and perfect for your summer listening.

Cleveland scene luminary Cletus Black has long been known for the former style, having released a steady stream of records over the last 10 years, including last year's In the Shadow. Jesse Hernandez has rooted his sound in that classic rock style, but decorates it with shades of walking/ 12-bar blues and pure organic energy that’s as warm as the sound of a vinyl album.

While not as lyrically adept as his influences, Black can cut you to the quick with his wayward vocals and imagery. On Down Those Tracks, though, he and the Cletus Black Revue push things into a little more upbeat territory. Black's performances range from trite ("The Happy Song," "Tombstone Town," the divine opener "Loser Blues") to downright wry on "90 Proof Blues" and "Virginia Beach." Falling somewhere between Cave and Robert Johnson, "Beach" finds Jesus giving Black the gospel of where to move and what to do when he gets there… it’s perfect stuff.

Hernandez may be the younger of the two, but he definitely taps deep into 70s classic rock vibe on cuts like the searing “Smoke,” a jangly, Josh Rouse/Peter Stuart-like “Displaced” and the slow-burning, methodical ballad called “Planned a Funeral” – which seems to draw on Jeff Buckley for influence. Hernandez’s toasty vocals seem to work well in any number of song methods; the sponge-like singer does well making all of the styles and sounds his own. It seems he’s poised for bigger and better as his career progresses.

Check out the Cletus Black Revue at the Open Air Market Square stage across from the West Side Market this Saturday, June, 9 beginning at 9AM. The stage is located at the corner of West 25th and Lorain Ave. Jesse Hernandez performs Saturday, June 10 at Blossom Music Center according to his website. Visit Black online at http://www.cletusblack.com and Hernandez at http://www.jessehernandezmusic.com.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
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