Jon Langford’s Four Lost Souls

By Jake Tully

A cursory listen to Jon Langford’s Four Lost Souls might place the record in the vein of Yusuf Islam (nee Georgiou) or even a more country-fried Charlie Reid, in which case both initial reactions would be correct. Modeling his style after the singers found on the a.m. side of the dial with songs concerning these late greats in some cases, Langford is a delightful melding of the British isles sensibility meets a distinctly avuncular Americanized folk sound.

Langford’s approach to the Western sound on Four Lost Souls can range anywhere from an emphatic guitar man to a hapless outsider to taking on a quasi-biblical perspective to fill in his narrative. On a track such as “I Thought He Was Dead,” it’s unclear whether Langford is singing about Bob Weir, for example, or a fabled outlaw of sorts. Similarly, “Snake Behind Glass” is a lively Sunshine on Leith-mottled tune, a real toe-tapper with an acerbic message, as it were.

Four Lost Souls benefits from affording vocalists other than Langford to rise up over the barrage of secret agent guitars and rising hi-hats contained within the majority of the record. This provides some much-needed female perspective as well as some soulful clarity that is necessary when concerning matters of the heart and the mind.

Langford may be posturing for his Stagecoach invite, and recipient or not, his latest is a unique perspective within the ever-growing field of international country stars, as it were. Four Lost Souls may be aiming for something more deeply rooted in the ethereal rather than the impregnable fortresses of honky tonks and mesas, but it is deeply earnest work all the same.

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Jake Tully

Based out of the San Fernando Valley, Jake is a LA transplant who is fascinated with the history and continuation of the Americana scene in Southern California. After moving down to the area to pursue a degree in Journalism from CSUN, Jake has found seemingly countless opportunities to find new music in the Greater Los Angeles area and the friendly disposition of the folks interested in the music. Jake enjoys going out in the field and chronicling the culture surrounding festivals and shows dedicated to keeping country music alive, but finds just as much solace in taking an evening to sit back and letting his vinyl collection wash over him. He believes there is a still a great deal of explanation to be done in order to help explain the divide between pop country and the bonafide music, and has made it one of his goals to entertain this notion through his writing.

Latest posts by Jake Tully (see all)

• Jon Langford’s Four Lost Souls - November 1, 2017
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