West Of The West

Alt country musician Dave Alvin’s compendium of covers of California-centric songs includes a doo-wop rendition of Brian Wilson’s “Surfer Girl,” a gutbucket blues version of John Fogerty’s “Don’t Look Now,” and a downbeat rendition of John Stewart’s “California Bloodlines.” Alvin’s baritone growl lends a warm intimacy to this collection of hymns to his home state. West of the West is Dave Alvin’s tribute to the songs and songwriters of California. It’s the fourth-generation Californian’s la­test excursion into the sounds and history of his home state, continuing the high standard he set with King of California and Blackjack David. Produced by Greg Leisz (Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Beck, Brian Wilson), the new album mixes much loved songs by Merle Haggard, John Fogerty, Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Jerry Garcia, Kate Wolf, Robert Hunter and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Louis Perez, with unearthed gems from such previously overlooked talents as Blackie Farrell and Jim Ringer. Dave’s first collection of cover songs (2000’s Public Domain) won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album and his most recent album of originals (2004’s Ashgrove) garnered praise from USA Today, Rolling Stone, Mojo and the Los Angeles Times who said, “Few songwriters capture the way music can provide escape or solace to the lonely, the lost and the desperate as Alvin.”