Review: Scott Ballew, Rio Bravo

The songwriting of Scott Ballew looks askance at the world, but reveals something far beyond the surface. Under his keening, languid delivery, the Austin musician/filmmaker twists poetic phrases that demand double takes – never obvious, yet ever expressive of a moment. “I want to see the big empty fall apart,” he exclaims on “Can You Hear Me Smile,” echoing the sentiments that unfold across third album Rio Bravo, a constant scramble for meaning and connection. From the dirgelike opening of “True Love Can’t Surf” to winding 8-and-a-half-minute closer “A Funny Masterpiece,” the LP punctuates late-night thoughts with nuggets of aphoristic enlightenment. The songs sway in a kind of fever dream, Leonard Cohen meets Daniel Johnston. Sonically, though, Ballew draws more from LP producer Michael Nau, as off-kilter croons and quirky-yet-poignant arrangements harken to Nau’s 2000s indie band Page France. The result is both unsettling and soothing, presenting small glimpses of clarity amid regrets.