ALBUM REVIEW
The West is the Future
Stuff, October 2004
The skinny:
This guitar and drum unit, who aren't called the White Stripes, write incredible songs. Guitarist-vocalist Darren Jackson is a former heroin addict and his drug use is eerily present in The West Is the Future's tracks. The plodding harmonies creep up, promising to haunt your eardrums long after the album has run its course. Jackson's soulful voice may be as sad as that of Bright Eyes's Conor Oberst, but its richness makes him stand out among other young, depressed songwriters.

If you liked this album, you’d like:
Iron & Wine, Mt. Egypt, Bob Dylan, methadone

Standout tracks:
"Ivan," "Pine Ridge"

What do the residents of Pine Ridge think?
We're not a bunch of incestuous alcoholics, but we can't resist a good mai tai. It's the umbrellas that get us!

Did we listen to this?
We're now convinced that South Dakota is haunted. Yep, the whole state.

Tantalizing tidbit:
The album's liner notes are filled with illustrations of the dying and dead. How cheery!

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