- Record Label: Anti
- Release Date: Apr 20, 2010
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A stunning LP that, in a just world, would do for Roky what the "American Recordings" series did for Johnny Cash.
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While Erickson provided the 'text', Sheff had to present it with the right level of reverence, being careful to highlight, and not undermine, this record of struggle and redemption.
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An extension of the rehabilitation that the 63-year-old has undergone in the last decade, under the devoted guidance of family and friends, it's a record that both addresses and somehow transcends his past.
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indulge his every whim and mood and which emphasizes his songwriting range. As a result, the album repositions Erickson's psych rock as the foundation for a diverse sound.
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True Love Cast Out All Evil is more than just a comeback, it's the best and most deeply moving album of his solo career.
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A fierce backing band, Okkervil River lends them drama, tension and a cinematic pomp that underscores the miraculous nature of Erickson's recovery.
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It is full of sadness and hope, but ultimately it is a celebration of human spirit and the unique talent of Roky Erickson. This indeed is special and magical music.
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He sings with renewed strength and even sweetness in these new versions of songs from the Seventies height of his troubles.
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His latest release (aided by fellow Texans Okkervil River) is wizened and epic, marked by squealing guitars and a deep wistfulness.
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This album isn't for everyone, but it's as open-hearted and grittily triumphant as any you'll hear this year.
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Mr. Erickson's voice has grown tattered and scratchy. And Mr. Sheff's production acknowledges the '60s without pretending to be vintage.
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haps the greatest testament to the power of this album is that it's still a triumph minus the backstory. Subtract the legend of Roky Erickson, and you have an immaculate collection of dusty country gems and orchestral pop.
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This is a great record, full with a daring, hard-earned hope, and a deep emotion. And that's something a lot of records could really use these days.
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Erickson's voice transparent and vulnerable, the lyrics direct yet poetic, sifting through years of pain for signs of hope. With the exception of the howling "John Lawman," the music is contemplative and atmospheric, a mix of field recordings from the past and unfussy, live-in-the-studio interactions.
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Not unlike Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind, this is an album by a grizzled veteran of rock's rougher roads who proves in his late career that he still has great work in him. Perhaps even better, Erickson sounds remarkably confident and optimistic; for all the tumult of his life, he's happy to be living it.
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Under The RadarOn True Love he re-emerges fantastically with a little help from his friends in Okkervil River, who nudge him ever so gently toward capturing the redemptive, therapeutic power found in his best songs. [Spring 2010, p.69]
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Okkervil River--with frontman Will Sheff as producer--defers to the chief, allowing Erickson's gruff voice to reign over woozy background vocals ("John Lawman"), punchy brass sections ("Think of as One") and Ebow lullabies ("Birds'd Crash").
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MojoTrue Love Cast Out All Evil is a genuine triumph of the spirit and heart. Other 62-year-old surviviors have released comeback albums as good, but none better or more uplifting. [Jul 2010, p.90]
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UncutThat it so compellingly rescues a cache of unforgettable songs and signals the unlikeliest of artistic revivals, must rank it among rock's most trascendent tales. [Jul 2010, p.109]
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Q MagazineGifted '60s casualty delivers first record in 14 years. [July 2010, p. 131]
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True Love Will Cast Out All Evil is a rare example of a man finding peace on record, of a long journey being rewarded with a slight glimpse of salvation.
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It's hard to tell how much of the success here stems from Sheff's handling of the material or how well Erickson would come across on his own, but the fact remains that he's still capable of producing strong material, a fact that True Love Cast Out All Evil proves, without making a display of this revitalization.
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True Love is at times haunting and ecstatic, memorializing Erickson's long history while swaggering into a shaggy kind of hope.
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Thanks to Okkervil's chiming, handsome folk rock--and also to Erickson's improbably buoyant spirit--the music doesn't sound defeated or even especially vulnerable. True Love makes good on its title.
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