While reviewing his previous album, “Christmas in Fallujah” I bombarded the man as a new protest singer-songwriter, and his album as the best protest album I’ve heard in years.  This was about 14 months ago! So when I recently received his latest effort I was curious about it.  Would the man still be the leader of the new revolution. Would there be a change in his styles, lyrics and ideas?  Well the answer is no, to most of it and yes to the rest. American Evolution Volume One is the first part of a 3 cd concept album about US history. Starting from the pre-Columbian era over the Great depression, World War II and the present, leading us into a predictable future of the US as seen by Mr. Pepper. The complete project contains of 50 tunes, Jefferson Pepper wrote in the last two years and will be released within a time span of 6 months.

Volume one (which is nick named the Red Album) covers the history from 1492 to 1940.  With styles ranging from blues, old time country, Roots Rock, Americana or Alt.Country Jefferson brings us an alternative lesson in history. Opener, is the ear catching Can’t Go homewhich starts with pre-Columbian birds and ends with the dead of the last human being in an isolated bunker underground Columbus Dayis about the bloody first encounter between native Americans & European conquerors and  Lewis and Clark Homecomingis a very nice and enjoyable old time instrumental. Rockefellers does not need much explanation at all. This tune is about the industrial revolution, the civil war and the favorsit brought to mankind.
In the rocking Dam in the river of Live Jefferson Pepper gives us more insight into the theory of Darwin and the effect it has on the world. How can it be that we are still fed up with the lies we learned at Sunday school and ban all rational thinking?  This is pretty much the main question of this song.  Roots Rock “pur-sang”, with some heavy electric guitar sounds and a style that give away his angst and angriness.  On fine fine Day we witness the joy of electricity and modern inventions but we are also witness to the fact that with those new possibilities old habits do die.  Fine fine Day is one of those tunes done in a traditional old time country style, with dobro, banjo, fiddle and mandolin. Closing down the album is the humoristic Primates Swinging

Although American Evolution Volume One is the first album in a series of three, it is as much a stand-alone album as Christmas in Fallujah.  The angry tone of Christmas in Fallujah is partly gone and so are the straight in your face lyrics pointing out injustice some where in the world. Jefferson Pepper is matured over the last two year and where he was a soldier in the revolutionary army on Christmas in Fallujah he becomes a storyteller on this red album.  In all honesty I have to say that I miss the sometimes-poignant lyrics. Musically however this album brings us as much history in styles and instruments as the era it captures. American Evolution Volume One is a must for those of us who do like some food for their brains while listening to an album!  And with volume 2 (the white album) and volume 3 (the blue album) being released in the near future I do believe salvation in on it’s way for the people of the US.

Mr. Blue Boogie.