Southern Gothic, The Brilliance of Dax Riggs 7 Songs for Spiders

 

7 Songs for Spiders

Dax Riggs

After having Dax Riggs latest album, 7 Songs For Spiders, on constant rotation for the past few weeks, I'm ready to write about it in a more literate way. I've really lived with this album night and day. It's a great "in the car driving alone" album. It's also a great "sit down in a dark room with noise cancelling ear buds" album.

Dax Riggs has been called southern gothic. His delivery is slow roasted. His lyrics are haunting and for me very quotable. His music has it's own mythology. Religious themes are dispersed in a cool and dark way. See "DECEIVER" the opening track on the album. 

"She said maybe I'm a demon, but you just don't see me And I said maybe you know Jesus, but I just can't believe it...No, no, I just can't believe it Ain't no great deceiver, ain't no bride of Jesus either".

What's really unique about Dax writing is it's never conventional. Nothing is basic. You may hear a track several times before you catch the real meaning beyond the words. 

The instrumentation on this album has come full circle from his early solo albums to now. The beautiful bluesy fuzz on each track is lush and sexy. It stops you in your tracks and makes you want to listen. The music sets the table for the lyrics that take you along on each journey. 

This album is one I want my friends and loved ones to love as much as I do. It's a real gift. Considering the daily struggle to try to avoid getting into comment thread skirmashes about the world's problems on social media. It's great to find an album I can escape to. It's visceral and since it's only seven tracks, I find myself hitting repeat over and over. 

I came by Dax Riggs music by accident. While visiting a friend at an old workplace. I met a new employee who was playing Deadboy and The Elephantmen's "If this is hell then I'm lucky". I immediately was transfixed by the whole vibe and Rigg's vocals. I needed to hear and know more. Thankfully, there was more and I've consumed as much as I can get my hands on.

I implore whoever happens to read this to pick up this album. Let me be the conduit to an incredible album that is bluesy, psychedelic and simmering in your ears. Check out the bandcamp of the album I've embedded in this. Let's escape this place together.

(Dax Riggs portrait illustration header of this blog designed by me)