Altered Statesman, Altered
Statesman, 2008 (Self-released, Indie)


(5 of 5 stars)

Altered Statesman is the brainchild of
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Steve Poulton. For this debut full-length
self-titled CD, Poulton teamed with producer and multi-instrumentalist Joe
McMahan. This combination proved incredibly fruitful on this record, as
Poulton's desperately soulful vocals are supported by a lo-fi vintage
experimental blues band reminiscent of early Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, and
at times The Velvet Underground.

Poulton's tone is soulful and bluesy with
a touch of lounge--think Elvis Costello when he teamed with Burt Bacharach for
their brilliant Painted From Memory, only where Bacharach might have
added some top-shelf background jazz singers to fill pockets, Poulton and
McMahan opted for loops, vibes, and lap steel, giving the record an experimental
edge similar to early M Ward. Poulton tells hard-luck stories in a way that
places him (simultaneously) inside and outside the scenes — it's as if he
knows all the characters, but remains emotionally distant when reporting the
events. The lyrics are poetic, unpredictable, and poignant. Poulton's vocals,
however, are sometimes strained as he has the same sense of melody as Elvis
Costello, never hesitating to reach for the note he hears in his head.
Nevertheless, as unpolished as Poulton's vocals might be at times, his songs are
so authentic that it always works.

This is not the record you want to drive
around town listening to in your car. If you do, you might not appreciate its
brilliance. Rather, put this one on at night when you have time to let it play
all the way through. Let it work on you, and you'll find yourself reminiscing
about the past, wondering how you made it through the bad times, wondering
whatever happened to that guy, that girl. Altered Statesman is the most
uniquely brilliant record to emerge from the Nashville indie scene in 2008. — Vincent
Wynne, June 1, 2008