Rocky Votolato Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Rocky Votolato is the kind of artist whose progression can be easily traced. His early singer/songwriter work relied mainly on his guitar and his soft voice, he moved into more passionate, energetic version of that on Suicide Medicine, and then into alt country-tinged rock on 2006's Makers. On his fifth full-length, The Brag & Cuss, and second with Barsuk, Votolato digs even deeper into his Texan roots, bringing in a B-3 organ and banjo alongside the harmonica and assortment of guitars he had on the previous album. Still, even with the band, what comes through most clearly is Votolato's voice, which is better than ever here, rough and emotive, honest to a fault. "Stare through the beers and years and the bags and bruises fade/...Beaming through all the brag and cuss, promising the fall," he sings in "The Old Holland," his scratchy vibrato especially audible as he holds "brag," wise with whiskey and years on the road. No, Votolato's not that old, not some grizzled veteran, but his lyrics hold a kind of sincerity and acute observation that beget images of a worn but not weary, man, a man who's seen enough by now to know something of the world. "You say, 'shut up, you're crazy, you can't go back in time,'" he says in "Postcards from Kentucky" over picked strings and soft drums, fitting the syllables of his lines in expertly and adeptly, while "Before Your Were Born" shows Votolato's understanding of love's age-old quality. But despite the individual strength of the songs -- "Lily White"'s full chorus, the nicely measured "Whiskey Straight," the country shuffle of "The Wrong Side of Reno" -- The Brag & Cuss finds its true power as an entity, in its ability to tell a story of loss and love and gravel and home, subtle but still affecting, simple but definitely not hushed. It's a record that's able to reach back while still looking forward, mature and confident but still very human, finding, in this, a spot of its very own. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Makers is Rocky Votolato's fourth album, appearing fittingly in line after 2003's Suicide Medicine, but with a worn resilience all its own. It finds Votolato sounding older and weathered, more content than jaded, and there's a modest quality to his steady voice that projects words as both sincere and comforting. Some songs are country-tinged -- with touches of harmonica, pedal steel, violin, and piano supporting the focal acoustic guitar -- but it's more that they simply evoke images of rural dirt roads, long walks and quiet autumn nights at home by the fireplace than anything completely Southern-fried. Genuinely charming, Votolato retains that gentle roughness in his performance, which matches up to the everyday guy kind of vibe running throughout the mostly relaxed set. He can pack quite a bit of emotion into just the slightest of inflections; "White Daisy Passing" showcases this straightaway with its warm vocal harmonies, while the tender mosey of the title track tears into listeners with its soft ruminations of death. Makers is a record tied to home, the imagery of songs like "Streetlights" and "The Night's Disguise" seemingly snapshots from one's own memory. Fans of Votolato's past work will fall for Makers in no time at all. And since the record has enough of those small moments -- the touching ones that might take a few rounds to completely sink in -- there's enough to not only keep them coming back for more, but to also leave behind a feeling as warm as a drink of its whiskey namesake. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
'Suicide Medicine'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 12
Label Second Nature
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Following a pair of albums released in 2002 (his own Burning My Travels Clean and Waxwing's Nobody Can Take What Everybody Owns), Seattle's Rocky Votolato returned with his third full-length. It may be the efforts of producer/Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, or the musicians heard on this recording (including Walla, Red Stars Theory's Seth Warren, and Seldom's Casey Foubert), but Suicide Medicine has a distinctive sound that sets it apart from Votolato's earlier solo work and his albums as a member of Waxwing. It also may be the album that helps to define Votolato's own sound, echoing the work he's already done while embracing some bolder stylistic choices. There's no shortage of uptempo rock songs here -- the title track and "Every Red Cent" both come to mind -- but the overall mood is darker than the bittersweet, hopeful songs heard on Burning My Travels Clean. Lyrically, "Automatic Rifle" and "Prison Is Private Property" both take Votolato into political territory. In "The Light and the Sound," he sings about transcendence in one verse and violent frustrations in another; the effect is jarring. In other songs, Votolato offers an unromanticized view of the life of a touring musician. "Montana" and "Mix Tapes/Cellmates" both touch on the uncertainties, economic and otherwise, that come from a life on the road. Votolato's rich, level voice, sometimes reminiscent of Paul Westerberg, allows him to refer to himself as "a hard-working guitar pickin' man" without a trace of irony -- and make it work. Warren's Rhodes adds a twilight warmth to "The Light and the Sound" while contrasting nicely with Votolato's strummed guitar. Harmonica is used effectively on "Alabaster" and "Mix Tapes/Cellmates," evoking Votolato's folk and country influences. Ultimately, though, this album touches on a number of genres without being easily classified in any. It's an honest, straightforward album with a man and a guitar at its heart. ~ Tobias Carroll, All Music Guide
'Burning My Travels Clean'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 11
Label Second Nature
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Rocky Votolato plays solo acoustic guitar songs that never really make it to the point that defines a genre-busting singer/songwriter and instead force him to occupy a less-intense though still beloved realm that also includes acts like Chris Carraba's Dashboard Confessional. Votolato is also the frontman for the rock act Waxwing, but like Elliott Smith departing Heatmiser, has been focusing most of his attention on polishing his more emotional solo style. The tracks on this disc are heartfelt odes and laments of varying catchiness that can certainly win over a respectable faction of listeners, but lack the breakthrough urgency and enveloping feelings that could make a dent in the bigger picture. Focusing on the acoustic guitar and at times using a subtle backing band, Burning My Travels Clean is a sleepy record that sees the singer get a bit too melodramatic on occasion while also containing some rather respectable melodic songwriting. His country-tinged tunes are actually the most impressive moments on the disc, and as opposed to his previous solo work, Votolato now comes through with solid control over his breathy vocals. This is certainly not the best in the genre, but the songs do have a good deal of heart, and at a number of points it is clear that the singer is creating exactly what he envisioned in his romantic daydreams. It's not for everyone, but there are plenty of saddened youngsters who will be able to identify with this after only a few moments. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
