George Stathakes blends dark folk visions with a Louisiana bite on Drawings in the Dust, while his backing band shoot for the “sweet spot” common in folk songs (ex. Dylan and Cash). A ghostly solo acoustic guitar piece, “Silver Dagger,” kicks things off to a great start, leaving listeners to wonder what could follow such a fragile vignette.
Unfortunately, what comes next is a mediocre sequence of lyrically driven songs that flirt with listeners’’ attention but at heart lack musical game. All punches are pulled until the title track saves the albums flow with its New Orleans-style jazz swagger. From here on, Stathakes’ menacing, cynical style takes full reign while the backing Creole accompaniment adds spice.
At its best, Drawings in the Dust is a well executed folk confessional that pushes its pallet with more experimental sounds. At its word, the lyrics distract as mere clichés and the music rambles like an uninspired Dylan song that refuses to end. Moments of greatness are achieved, but too often Drawings in the Dust borrows mainly from the sound of its influences (listed on his website as Bowie, Waits, and Dylan) while only paying lip services to their underlying concepts and musicality.
