​Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? (from the album Wake the Dead

​Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? (from the album Wake the Dead

​Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? (from the album Wake the Dead available on Yep Roc Records) (by Lee Zimmerman) 

Chuck Prophet could easily rest on his reputation. Having launched his professional career with the Paisley Underground band Green on Red in the 1980s — with whom he recorded eight albums and an EP — he embarked on a successful solo career in the early ‘90s, establishing a reputation within Americana environs as an artist, songwriter, and producer. Signed to Yep Roc Records in 2007, he quickly ascended to the highest tier of the Americana pantheon. He did so on his own, but also courtesy of co-writes and contributions to the work of Bruce Springsteen, Alejandro Escovedo, Kelly Willis, Jim Dickinson, Jules Shear, the Rubinoos, Chris Knight, and Kim Richey, among the many.
 
In fact, Chuck Prophet never falters when it comes to his desire to climb new plateaus and explore different and distinctive musical realms. Wake the Dead, his first album in four years, proves the point. Inspired by the Cumbia bands he encountered in local clubs in the aftermath of the pandemic while he was undergoing cancer treatments, he teamed with the band ¿Qiensave? and found a renewed sense of joy and vitality. Strictly speaking, Wake the Deadisn’t tied wholly to south of the border environs, as one might otherwise expect. Nevertheless, the music is powered by a rhythmic underbelly that features prominently in the title track, “Betty’s Song”, “Sugar Into Water”, “Give the Boy a Kiss”, and “Same Old Crime” all whileconveying a clarity that demands instant attention. 
 
That said, Chuck Prophet also leans on a personal perspective, one that shines a light on the emotions that likely became all the more prescient in the wake of his cancer diagnosis. The darker and demonstrative “First Came the Thunder” finds him detailing a broken love affair (‘I begged you for a second chance/And slept through your alibi…’), while the dryly determined “Sally Was a Cop” laments the consequences brought about by those who send a nation’s sons and daughters off to fight the wars; the young fighting battles that a previous generation has caused. The breathless ballad “Red Sky Night” shares its own sense of distance and disillusionment when home doesn’t feel like home anymore. 
 
Still despite the sense of cynicism that permeates much of the proceedings, the album is consistently engaging. Likewise, it ends on an upbeat note, courtesy of the concluding track, “It’s Good Day to Be Alive”. ‘Time stood still and the seasons changed’ Prophet sings. ‘everything became new again’. He seems to be saying that no matter how difficult things may sometimes seem, there’s still some hope on the horizon. He imparts that principle with clear commitment, offering a lesson that’s well worth learning. (by Lee Zimmerman) 
 
Listen and buy the music of Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? from AMAZON
 
Head over to Chuck Prophet & ¿Qiensave? website for more information