His new independent release, Elephant Graveyard, immediately strikes the listener as an emotionally honest and purging album, and as a celebration of John’s life long country/folk influences such as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Hank Williams, just to name a few.
The albums first track, “The Day I Died”, showcases John’s original blend of those classic American influences with that of Oszajca’s own modern message and sound, while “Baby Bye Bye”, “Damn That Woman”, and “Angalyne” vaunt a more Alt/Country sound that is both classic and refreshing with the first listen. Songs like “Sinkin’ In” boast a healthy dose of acoustic verve, while “No Turning Back” is hauntingly stripped bare. The album even contains a reprise of the much loved “Where’s Bob Dylan When You Need Him”, A song that John says he has “recorded so many times he could release it as a double album” but that it is on ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD that he “finally got it right”.
Oszajca’s previous releases, From There To Here (Interscope) and First Sign Of Anything (Warner Brothers), showcased a much more polished and mainstream sound. Perhaps it is John’s new found indie label freedom that has led him to such a dramatic departure in tone and musical style. I for one much enjoy the new found alt-country sound of Elephant Graveyard to that of his earlier albums.
If you are a fan of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Ryan Adams, Tom Petty or that alt-country sound in general, then you might want to give this album a listen. It is one of my top picks for indie music in 2008 and I think it is a promising turn in an already intriguing career.