Review: Squeaky Bones ‘The Magnolia Sessions’
Here at The Shaman, we’ve proudly covered the ongoing The Magnolia Sessions practically from the beginning. The brainchild of Dan Emery of Anti-Corp Music and Black Matter Mastering, the idea has been to bring unique, one-of-a-kind artists from within the country, bluegrass, acoustic, Americana and folk genres, recording them live in the outdoors and under a large magnolia tree in Emery’s compound. The project has yielded many awesome releases and continues to showcase singular underground artists, such as the one featured here: Caleb Nunez, who goes by the moniker Squeaky Bones.
The Texas native has been playing and writing songs since he was a teenager, honing his craft around the southeast. In one of those ‘only in America’ moments, Nunez was inexplicably and randomly shot in the head during Thanksgiving of 2020 in Asheville, North Carolina. Somehow surviving this unbelievably fucked up assault, he proceeded to wander Tennessee on his motorcycle in an attempt to make sense of it all. Nunez clearly finds catharsis in his music, and that is clear from the first notes of this Squeaky Bones project.
The recording does not feature any instrumentation other than his voice and his sparse, melancholic acoustic guitar. Homes And Nests hits the earholes with the now-familiar early evening outdoor sounds of buzzing insects. This is quickly accompanied by him whistling the main chords before his sorrowful acoustic strumming and rugged, yet forlorn vocals draw the listener in. Found My Way Appalachy is introduced as the first song he wrote upon moving to Tennessee, spending Christmas Eve by himself in a hammock. Not surprisingly, there is some real, lived-the-life, downcast, Townes Van Zandt-style hardship in this song as the storytelling and gravelly voice, coupled with the outdoor sounds, easily conjure some honest feeling.
Next up, Snowflakes is a twinkly, affirming hymn touching on everyone’s individuality, he then lets out a gravelly cackle, asking us if we – the listeners – know any good witches, before kicking into Sneaky Beans. This track is both one of the cooler and more unique affairs throughout this session. It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s all delivered with conviction as the vocals careen from an anguished howl to a hopeful croon, sometimes over the course of the same line. Following this, My Promise stands as one of the more sorrowful and despairing songs on the album. Nunez lets it all hang out vocally, wearing his heart on his sleeve, while his sparse notes magnify the pain he conveys through his music.
It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s all delivered with conviction as the vocals careen from an anguished howl to a hopeful croon…
Every Step is set up by the anecdote about transitioning from a wheelchair to a walker during his recovery while simply trying to get to his refrigerator. This story perfectly underscores the physical and mental anguish the man is dealing with. However, lest we think this is a disheartened lament on his condition, instead, he gives us a peek into the hopeful side of his recovery, playing out as a triumphant, overcoming-obstacles anthem. For Dave is a sincere, heartfelt requiem to Nunez’s fallen friend, wherein our dude again lets it all emphatically hang out vocally under the Tennessee sky.
Nearing the conclusion, the emotional ballad Hourglass Squeezed hits the listener in the feels with the choice of notes and somber lyrics. Finally, the closer, Going Crazy, finds Nunez reflecting on his injury while serving up a delicate, beautiful acoustic guitar lament. It sees him hitting some epic vocal notes, which hit home wonderfully alongside the ever-present sounds of the outdoor American South.
If overcoming a gunshot to the head and battling his own personal demons weren’t impressive enough, this The Magnolia Sessionwas actually Squeaky Bones‘ first recording. The fact that an artist who has overcome so much was able to sit down outside and blast these tracks out on the spot for his first official release is pretty fucking impressive whichever way you slice it. If you are looking for a reprieve from your usual diet of riff-battering and want something different, you could certainly do much worse than diving into these outdoor recordings. This edition with Squeaky Bones makes for a great introduction to the series for the uninitiated.
Label: Anti-Corp Music
Band Links: Spotify
Scribed by: Martin Williams
