Delivering the Dylan dynasty
Ciara Moynihan
If there’s one thing that Jakob Dylan, son of Bob, isn’t, it’s a wallflower. Fiendishly handsome, in a devilishly feline way, one cannot imagine him as a shrinking violet, sitting alone on the sidelines of any dance hall for any length of time. Yet it was as a member of rock band The Wallflowers that he first made his name – and drew adulation.
Since late 2006, Jakob Dylan (40) has pursued a solo career, and with it a move away from rock and towards an intimate acoustic sound. His first album, ‘Seeing Things’, was released to critical acclaim in September 2007. His new album, ‘Women and Country’ picks up where the first left off, continuing the artist’s journey through American roots music and country blues. There’s even a nod to New Orleans, with songs like ‘Lend a Hand’ echoing the kind of French Quarter funeral sound loved by artists like Tom Waits.
For someone who spent most of his Wallflowers career trying to distance himself from his father’s legacy, the move into the blues/folk/country smacks of someone who finally accepted his identity and destiny – accepted the mantle and decided to prove his worth within the dynasty rather than try to stand outside it.
Speaking about his father’s shadow in an interview last January, Jakob said: “I always knew that it didn’t matter what I wanted to be, that it would always be there to some degree … I would have liked to be a doctor maybe, or I could’ve been a school teacher, but they would have said the same things down the hall about me – they would’ve been wondering why I got the job! I just chose to get right in the fire and just accept it.”
That’s not to say he takes a free ride on Bob Dylan’s coat tails. Speaking to The Telegraph’s Neil McCormick in 2008, Dylan said: “It’s no secret that I grew up around records that are benchmarks for everybody, but if dad wasn’t in the picture, people might say [‘Seeing Things’] kind of reminds them of [Paul Simon’s] Rhymin’ Simon or [Bruce Springsteen’s accoustic album] Nebraska. I’m aware of the inevitable comparisons but I also think, in the same breath, he doesn’t own acoustic music. A lot of people have played acoustic guitar, before and after. I’m just being led by the music like everybody else.”
Soulful yet striking and ripe with a sublime, haunting beauty, ‘Women and Country’ sees Jakob reunited with acclaimed Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar winning musician and producer T Bone Burnett, who produced the Wallflowers’ 1996 breakthrough album ‘Bringing Down the Horse’. It includes more instrumentation than ‘Seeing Things’.
"I knew going into this record that I wanted to hear something full and vibrant," Jakob explains. "I wanted horns and fiddle, for it to be as big and beautiful sounding as it could with instrumentation. That changes the lyrics and tone of what you're writing."
While on balance I have to admit that I preferred the stripped-down sound of the first solo album, the artistry and maturity of his latest work are undeniable – as is his worth as an accomplished artist in his own right.
Jakob Dylan is playing in the Róisín Dubh in Galway on Wednesday, July 28, and in the Tripod in Dublin on Thursday, July 29.
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