Review: Dave Simonett Flies Solo with 'Red Tail'
Most people know Dave Simonett as the frontman for the popular bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles, whose diverse style and energetic stage presence make them popular both in roots and jam-oriented festivals, as well as regulars at major multi-genre festivals like Bonnaroo. Some might also know him for his solo project under the name Dead Man Winter, which released its last album, Furnace, in 2017. But now Simonett is stepping out from the shadow of a band name and releasing his first album, Red Tail, under his own name.
Those familiar with Trampled by Turtles and Dead Man Winter will find some elements of both projects in Simonett's solo work, but also a different outlook that makes it worthy of a new name. Simonett originally intended the album as a truly solo work, recording some of the tracks alone in his home studio and the rest with friends in Minnesota's Pachyderm Studios. The result is eight tracks that vary from lush and pedal-steel heavy songs to sparse acoustic numbers, all anchored by Simonett's emotive vocals.
The album kicks off with one of the more fleshed out tracks, “Revoked.” With a wavering steel guitar sounding like a message from space, Simonett double records his vocals with slight delay, creating an echo effect. Like with his Dead Man Winter project, this song is going to draw some comparisons to Bon Iver, but the closest resemblance is actually to Tennessee Fire era My Morning Jacket, with Simonett displaying a wide range of hums and drawn out vowels that near Jim James' ability to make his voice another instrument.
On the other side of the coin is the next track, album standout “Pisces, Queen of Hearts.” Starting with only a slow acoustic guitar intro and a slight steel background, it's a song that is deceptively deep in its simplicity. Lyrically, Simonett does his best work, crooning “I remember thinking we would meet again, in the space between the starlight and the treeline.”
Another highlight is the rollicking “Silhouette”, which sounds closest to a Trampled by Turtles track of anything on the album. Lyrically, it's the sharpest song on the album, with lines like “the price keeps getting steeper, the world keeps getting cheaper, and I can feel the bones that creak inside me. And the Holy Ghost we were promised never bothered to show up, or maybe we just missed the signs.”
Unlike Dead Man Winter's Furnace, which was Simonett's meditations on the end of a 10 year marriage, Red Tail feels like a much freer album. Allusions to nature abound, with song titles like “In the Western Wind and the Sunrise” and “There's a Lifeline Deep in the Night Sky.” The latter also shows the loose nature of Simonett's band recordings, all of which were taped live. The album closer, “Lifeline” starts with an outtake, as the piano intro begins and hits a sour note, causing a crackup in the gathered group before it begins again and you hear the beautiful harmonies nailed in one take.
If you're a fan of Trampled by Turtles, Red Tail will be an adjustment from what you're used to, but the soul of Dave Simonett, charisma, smart lyrics, and emotive vocals, are all there. Whether this is a one-off idea for Simonett or something he plans to continue as an alternative to TBT remains to be seen, but Red Tail is a strong debut and one that will certainly lead to calls for more from fans old and new.