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Despite the talents of the musicians here, on several tracks the music simply lacks the physical strength to handle the lyrical weight of Chesnutt's material.
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Entertainment WeeklyToo bad Bells' laborious folk arrangements aren't as appetizing as the singer's weird words. [25 Mar 2005, p.73]
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Songs like "Vesuvius"-- not to mention "Rambunctious Cloud" and "Gnats"-- have depth, a cagey charm, and an elusive mystery that demand not just repeated but aggressive listening. Chesnutt and his collaborators don't make that level of attention easy, but they do make it worthwhile.
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More eclectic than most Chesnutt releases.
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UncutThis sounds like the record Vic Chesnutt's been waiting his entire life to make. [Apr 2005, p.112]
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Proves alluring even when the tunes are undercooked.
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SpinHis mildewy folk rock is dourly impenetrable. [Apr 2005, p.108]
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Under The RadarAn album arguably as strong as any in the Chesnutt canon. [#9]
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Chesnutt has rarely sounded better... expressing a full array of vivid and contrasting emotional states.
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Q MagazineSweet, subtle and quietly insidious. [May 2005, p.111]
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MojoFrisell's braided guitar work creates a complex, nocturnal mood, while Parks' weeping accordion and sweeping string arrangements heighten the inherent drama. [May 2005, p.104]
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Paste MagazineA particularly powerful collection from a consistently brilliant artist. [Apr/May 2005, p.128]
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Ghetto Bells finds Chesnutt running the gauntlet -- string-laden balladry, desert folk-rock, thumb-piano noodling.
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Where Chesnutt has long been thought of as the banjo-on-his-knee godfather of freak-folk, this record shows his skewed vision is beginning to radiate far from its nearly-naked, southern gothic roots.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 3
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Mixed: 0 out of 3
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Negative: 0 out of 3
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BrandonMJun 11, 2005An impressive and more focused follow-up to Silver Lake, Chesnutt give his listeners what they crave.
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WayneBApr 23, 2005