Cautionary Tale (10th Anniversary Edition)＜限定盤/Yellow Vinyl＞

高い評価を受けたCautionary Taleの10周年記念アルバムが登場。若くして音楽キャリアの浮き沈みを経験したLeBlancは、次第にスパイラルに陥り、酒と自己不信のなかで曖昧な日々を過ごすようになっていた。彼は故郷マッスル・ショールズへ戻り、傷を癒やしながら、プロデューサーにBen Tanner(Alabama Shakes)とJohn Paul White(The Civil Wars)を迎えた作品。

The third studio long-player from the Muscle Shoals-born crooner, the aptly named Cautionary Tale finds Dylan LeBlanc exorcizing some personal demons while injecting some much needed pomp and circumstance into his signature blend of breezy, '70s West Coast singer/songwriter pop and Bible Belt-bred gothic Americana. A conscious attempt to avoid relying on the self-described "sad bastard songs" that were so prevalent on his prior two releases, Cautionary Tale doesn't exactly shake the rafters, but the addition of a rhythm section, along with copious amounts of cello, violin, and viola, certainly helps to expand the young troubadour's sound. His high and lonesome croon, a velvety mix of After the Gold Rush-era Neil Young, James Bay, and Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, sits much higher in the mix this time around, and imbues highlights like the lush and lovely Eagles-esque "Roll the Dice," the snappy and soulful "Easy Way Out," and the road trip-ready title cut with an air of confidence that had been missing up to now. Even the quieter moments, of which there are still quite a few, especially on the LP's more laconic back half, are bolstered by tight production and the sterling performances of both LeBlanc and his band. Lyrically LeBlanc is still mired in the faux-verisimilitude and myopic ruminating that are the bane of all twentysomethings, but with Cautionary Tale, his finest outing to date, he's stepped far enough out of his shell that the world around him is starting to come into focus. ~ James Christopher Monger