Lunch of Champions

Brian Whitson and the Night Wolves | Onward, Young Menonites!!

“Onward, Young Menonites!!” is the type of album that makes me smile. It is completely homemade, from the markered-up cd face to the photocopied cd insert. Even the writing on the cd insert is hand written by someone who was trying really hard to write legibly.

Brian Whitson… | Ramble On

Upon seeing a handwritten and photocopied album cover, I usually assume that it was produced by some poor Joe who has not the money to make it nicer. But in this case, the cd cover and elbow grease that produced it, mesh perfectly with the blue-collar feel of the album.

The songs were all recorded in Brian Whitson’s bedrooms – one in California, one in Minnesota.

Some songs, like “Big Woods Death Grip” and “Ramble On” are beautifully crafted and recorded with a chorus of chants, while most of the others are simply Whitson and a guitar. However there is a beautiful, old-school blues piano song entitled, “For the Dead Kids in Lake Bronson”, which should be required listening for all publicly-educated 5th-grade students.

There are moments of pure bliss on this album, particularly on “Ramble On”, and the low-fi 4-track production quality is amazingly refreshing in this era of flawless cds. Overall, I would have liked to hear more group sing-alongs, as they really carry this record.

Whitson’s vocal style is a comforting mix of emotion, sincerity, and intelligence, which more than makes up for his lack of range.

I recommend this album to fans of Larry McMurtry’s novels and people who like cowboys.