The follow-up to the acclaimed California trilogy that began in 2005 with Chavez Ravine, Pull Up Some Dust... is a timely collection of songs, with subject matter and themes ranging from the current hard times in the USA to useless wars and financial corruption. With his bottleneck-guitar, gruff soulful voice and chops learned with Captain Beefheart and The Rolling Stones among others, the West Coast veteran’s long-established trademark style and familiar instrumental backdrop is well-represented here in all its manifestations.
The opening track, ‘No Banker Left Behind’ should raise more than a smile or two around these parts. Echoing Woody Guthrie’s quip about the fact that some men will “rob you with a fountain pen,” it takes a well-aimed shot at “the bankers, their political masters and their billion dollar bonuses”. The most full-on rock ‘n’ roll track here ‘Quick Sand’ describes the plight of illegal immigrants and their perilous journey across the Mexican border.

Elsewhere, over a reggae rhythm and soulful harmonies, ‘Humpty Dumpty World’ speaks of “rebel rousing politicians on the TV sowing the seeds of fear and hatred” while the cheerful accordion melody and Tex-Mex textures on ‘Christmas Time This Year’ is at odds with the deadly seriousness of the lyrics, which describe returning US soldiers such as “Johnny (who) got no legs and Billy (who) got no face”.
Other highlights include the poignant ‘Simple Tools’ and closer ‘No Hard Feelings’ which describes an old-timer living alone in the wilderness ruminating on the destruction of the landscape. Cooder is one of a kind and is arguably the true godfather of Americana, as this beautifully put together album demonstrates in spades.