Someone really should have told me about Chuck Prophet. I mean, anybody making music this fucking outstanding doesn’t deserve to fly under anybody’s radar, least of all mine. His music is practically perfect for my particular tastes: well-crafted songs composed by a songwriter (in the truest sense of the word), sung by a country singer (at heart) but produced with an ear to what’s going on in the rest of the musical world as well. Over the course of his 2004 near-masterpiece, Age Of Miracles, Prophet comes off as a less willfully eclectic (and therefore more enjoyable) Beck, living with one foot a little bit deeper in country music than Mr. Hansen would probably consider cool. Actually, he’s kind of like the guy I posted on yesterday in the way he takes the arms and legs of different styles and comes up with his own hideously beautiful beast. I think his press sheet sums it up best: “...a world where Dr. Dre and Charlie Feathers would both feel comfortable.” That’s brilliant man, that’s exactly right.

I picked up Age Of Miracles as an impulse buy (read: I liked the cover art) about a week or so ago and I have not been able to stop listening or wishing I was listening to it since. I guess I had heard Prophet’s name before, but I’m taking the pat on the back for introducing myself to his music. Good job bak, you really outdid yourself this time! Now turn to the people at home and let them hear what all the fuss is about. Listen people, you need to hear these songs:

Chuck Prophet - “Age Of Miracles”

Chuck Prophet - “Pin A Rose On Me”

Chuck Prophet - “West Memphis Moon”

Age Of Miracles is good enough to be a greatest hits album, except for the little fact that none of the songs can honestly be called hits and it’s more cohesive than most compilations. Actually, it’s better than most people’s greatest hits albums. “Age Of Miracles” and “Pin A Rose On Me” are two of the best songs on the album, but I would’ve liked to post “You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)” rather than “West Memphis Moon”. “You Did” is a hell of a lot more fun and it features his best incorporation of samples and hip-hop elements, plus it’s one of the songs on repeat in my head these days. Whatever, it doesn’t matter, every song on the album is good and these are the songs that New West Records has kindly made available. Damn you New West, you really think I needed one more person’s entire back catalogue to hunt down!?! Now how am I gonna eat this month?

Pay a visit to Chuck’s website for more information and stuff, like tour dates. Man, I bet these songs are a blast live, but I don’t think I can justify driving back to Denver for another show.