Zoh Amba, better known as a formidable free jazz saxophonist, has released a new album titled Eyes Full that shifts gears into raw, rugged country rock. The album, out on Matador, draws on Amba's childhood memories of Kingsport, Tennessee, blending gritty reality with poetic licence.
On the opening track 'OCD', Amba stops a twinkling guitar melody to start over, searching for the right way to tell the story of a boy diagnosed with 'dreamin’ all the time'. The song combines empathy and conspiracy with thrashing, violent strumming that evokes blisters and wrecked strings.
Amba left Kingsport at 17 and returned only recently, now in their mid-20s. The album's cryptic postcards describe childhood memories with fresh eyes. Despite the abrupt change in sound, Amba's previous free jazz style and this new one share a similar bravery, pushing vocals far past breaking point, fuelled by raw emotion.
Tracks like 'Southern Soil' show Amba pleading with family to stop keeping secrets, their voice cracking and squeaking, reminiscent of indie folk acts Bright Eyes and Big Thief. 'Weed Eating' careens through the mindset of a person who has given up, finding feral humour amid despair, while 'Blueberry Thorn' discovers a bloodied spirituality with piercing fiddle.
Whether this guitar record is a detour or a new direction, Eyes Full is a wild, beautiful thing that feels deeply lived in.
