You’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled upon the latest pseudonym of Strugill Simpson after putting on Bob Wagner’s solo debut I’ve Been Down. You wouldn’t be totally off base either. The journeyman Vermont guitarist cites Johnny Blue Skies as an influence and managed to get Simpson’s right-hand shredder Laur Joamets to add lead to three tracks, including album-opener “Sad and Lonesome,” the most Simpson-coded of the 10-song set.
But Wagner’s rootsy, Northeast rock has range beyond countrified twang. Wagner revives the murder ballad with “Richest Man on Earth,” in which he imagines killing an unnamed, attention-seeking billionaire by ignoring him: “Didn’t shoot him, didn’t stab him/ Not even a black eye,” he sings. “I just stopped paying him attention/ Cause I’m too broke to spend my mind.” A surprisingly faithful cover of Elton John’s “Daniel” showcases Wagner’s softer side and vocal range, as does the mostly acoustic “Dear Depression.” Wagner, who is also currently part of Mike Gordon’s solo band, embraces his jam bonafides on the groovy countrified funk of “Universe Is Calling,” the Wilco-nodding rocker “Jesus, Coffee Etc.,” and the slow-burning “Duende,” which climaxes with a series of fiery guitar jams.
Wagner has spent his career playing other people’s songs, often touring with Josh Panda and Kat Wright. His debut was such a long time coming that he unearthed one song that he first wrote two decades ago, the dark yet uplifting title track. There’s a raw energy to “I’ve Been Down,” a rock-bottom ballad that was recorded live in one take with the Wood Brothers’ Oliver Wood and Jano Rix on vocals and keys. “I’ve been down so long,” he sings. ”I have to look up to find the ground.” These days, things are looking up for the right reasons.
