Before Dudley Saunders embarked on a career in art-washed Americana, his was a performance artist, which may go a long toward explaining the dramatic and visually rich tone of his third album, The Emergency Lane. There is a natural tendency to draw parallels between Saunders and Hissing of Summer Lawns-era Joni Mitchell, as Saunders’ wire walk between the simplicity of folk and the complexity of jazz, exhibited both musically and lyrically, mirrors Mitchell’s own creative explorations, particularly on dissonantly melodic pieces like “Mushy-Headed Kid” and the disquieting “Love Song for Jeffrey Dahmer.” Saunders is a masterful storyteller, and his eye for detail and ear for a well-crafted phrase puts him in Bruce Springsteen/Leonard Cohen/Tom Waits territory, while his tightly coiled vibrato leans toward Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett. Musically, Saunders runs the gamut from impassioned hush (“The Rain on 8th Avenue”) to manic howl (“Side of Sane”), without ever forgetting the seductive power that links the two. On The Emergency Room, Saunders strikes a subtle yet clearly defined balance between the surreal and the mundane, between dramatic and histrionic, between haunted and haunting, while maintaining a well grounded foot in each camp.
--Brian Baker
