Straight outta Portland, Ore., by way of purgatory and a few county jails is Morgan Geer, who with his lapsed Baptist cohorts fully lives up to the bandname.
Geer gets right down to the genuflecting with “I’m Gonna Lay Down in Front of My Lord,” a stately, horns-and-slide-guitar number that’s one part the Band, one part Tonight’s The Night and several parts sinner’s remorse.
Later, in the woozy, Bad Seeds-in-New Orleans noir waltz “What Made Me Kill,” Geer tries to blame his misdeeds on the booze ’n’ pills, and his flophouse braying almost makes you want to take pity on him.
Almost. Because by the time the band plows into a twang-glam-punk, positively murderous, version of Leadbelly staple “Take This Hammer,” you start to get the sense that Geer likes his sinnin’—a lot.
Upright citizens, drop to your knees and utter a few prayers of your own if the band comes to town. This Geer boy, he’s bad news.
Drunken Prayer: Press
"...a blistering example of bad-assedness."
“Morgan is the real deal as a frontman, a barking ringleader with chops between Tom Waits and the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes”
"Like an alt.country Led Zeppelin..."
"...{Morgan's} style varies from outright guttural to an almost inculpable sincerity..."
"There is a primal sorrow in this release that flows like a molten lava, occasionally erupting through the surface of this country-R&B gem...This is saint and sinner stuff full of passion and pain."
"The songs contain striking lyrics that sweep over and engulf the listener. Pay close attention to those thoughtful words - some of them are very deep and will challenge you."
"Why in the name of all that’s holy is Drunken Prayer not a massive, national success?"
Paul McCartney meets Lee Hazelwood at a pagan festival.