Even though
Eugene Chadbourne's music is suitable for a crude, urgent treatment, fans of the good
Doctor always appreciate it when he has the luxury of decently recording and fine-tuning an album. Recorded and mixed in five days,
Country Protest Anew qualifies for such luxury (believe it or not!) and is a welcome addition to the man's still-growing list of song-based recordings. The title leaves no doubt about the political nature of the project, although the lyrics (
Chadbourne's and the covered artists') are here less downright political than what could be found on
the Doctor's early- '80s opus
Country Protest. And yet,
Country Protest Anew can be seen as the final result of
Chadbourne's string of home-brewed protest albums following September 2001 (inaugurated with
New War, concluded with
I Support the Troops and I Want My Money Back). "Coward," the updated version of "Don't Burn the Flag, Let's Burn the Bush," and
the Doctor's very personal rendition of
Lauryn Hill's "Lost Ones" are all given superior recordings here, while the remaining covers and originals feel like they come from the same barrel of songs.
Noahjohn is the backing group of choice for
Chadbourne, providing genuine country arrangements while being able to stretch out and go crazy whenever
the Doctor says the word (viola player Eena Ballard has previously appeared on some
Chadbourne releases). Sound quality is very good, the arrangements are rich and often treading the fine line between heartfelt country tribute and satirical subtext. Highlights include one
Karl Straub's "Backwards Town" (one of the funniest -- and cleanest -- set of lyrics ever recorded by
the Doctor), the original "Family Tree," the aforementioned "Lost Ones" (
Chadbourne at his rappin' best),
Love's "Mushroom Clouds" (bet you didn't see that one coming!) and the
Robison/Braniff ballad "Travelin' Soldier." The latter is given a moving treatment, proving once again that
Chadbourne could be a successful country singer if he settled down a bit -- then again, we would miss his other personas. In short,
Country Protest Anew is a clean-sounding set of focused songs (no improvisations, no outstretched solos), in a vein similar to
Another Country and
Texas Sessions, Chapter 2 (although slightly more daring than these albums).