Lincoln Durham - Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous (2013)

MLincoln Durham s seamless Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous scorches ( Sinner ) and seethes ( Strike Us Down ) with unwavering force. The singular songwriter s new collection showcases a rapidly rising talent unquestionably coming into his own ( Ballad of a Prodigal Son ).

We all wander through this shattered old world getting more glass in our feet, Durham growls early on, leaving bloody tracks everywhere we turn like a morbid hide-and-go-seek. I write the emotions that I m feeling at the time, he says. This album was full of angst and anger and resentment, piss and vinegar. Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous is a poetic way of saying I m distancing myself from all the people I felt stabbed me in the back. This album is my release to the demons I was facing.

His haunting backdrops simply speak volumes. Durham s driving guttural beats backbone howling instrumentation throughout the album. The result: He effortlessly transcends genres with dark narratives as sharp as Steinbeck ( Rise in the River ) and poetic as Poe ( Beautifully Sewn, Violently Torn ). Durham s thunderclap immediacy clearly shakes souls and turns heads.

Lincoln plays guitar like a grown man, legendary songwriter (and ace guitarist) James McMurtry says. Like the howl of the wind and rumble of a thunderstorm, echoes singular songwriter Hayes Carll, Lincoln Durham's music is raw and real, the way it should be.

Add: Swiftly evolving. Exodus of the Deemed Unrighteous doubles down on early influences (Townes Van Zandt, Muddy Waters) with even more eclectic resources (Nick Cave, Tom Waits). I m starting to change directions in my writing style and coming into my own, Durham says. I think I ve found who I am musically and my voice. I ve really adopted the one-man band thing and it s caught legs.

Witness his fiery and furious hurricane force live show. I m a one-man band but have a big, beefy full-band sound, he says. It s loud, obnoxious and it s not a show you re gonna slow dance or fall in love to. It s a lot of dark music for dark people, very electrified with the kick drum, floor tom, the snare, the fiddle, the banjo, a harmonica, a cigar box guitar. It s a sideshow. Come out and see what you think.