John Ralston

Needle Bed

[4/5] Fueled by Pabst Blue Ribbon, no sleep and too many cigarettes, John Ralston recorded Needle Bed across five days in 2005 without actually intending to finish the thing–but it’s a good thing he did. Now reissued by Vagrant to commemorate Ralston’s recent signing to the label, the formerly self-released Needle Bed channels the spirit of the late Townes Van Zandt to create a piece of reflective folk-rock nouveau that even bests Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. Indeed, if Zach Braff ever films a follow up to Garden State, more then a few of these songs would be top picks for the soundtrack. Case in point: “Gone Gone Gone,” the goose-bump-raising energy of which brings to mind vintage Goo Goo Dolls–i.e., before they started churning out love anthems for suburban moms. Ralston will actually release an “official” Vagrant album, There’s Always An Ambulance Around The Bend, produced by former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett, this summer–and if it’s anywhere near this solid, we can’t wait.
(VAGRANT) Casey Lynch