If the music of Judson Claiborne were a temperature, it’d be a dreamy 47 degrees and partly sunny. The Chicago-based songwriter’s newest album was released in the waning days of winter and, while it could easily pass for a spring record, has all the pent-up frustration and weightiness that accompanies that dark Chicago season.

If the music of Judson Claiborne were a time, it’d be 6:59 in the morning. It’s when you’re technically supposed to wake up – for work, for class, to escape wherever you accidentally ended up last night, whatever – but it takes all the effort you can possibly conjure just to make it happen.

So there you have the time and temperature of Judson Claiborne, a songwriter with the deft acuity of Andrew Bird and the brashness of Ryan Adams (without the latter’s brazen, yet charming superego). Claiborne’s sophomore release is stocked with precision and passion, and the two often weave together to produce some pretty stellar songs. They’ll remind you of the cold at times but it’s from the vantage point of spring, so – as they say – it’s all good.

The first half of the record is slow-going, with “Twilight Spirit”, “Song for the Dreaming”, “Oh, Cyril” (which Claiborne sings uncannily as if saying ‘sorrow’) and “The Freeze Up.” You’re not mistaking yourself to say the names alone come off as dreary. Claiborne’s craft definitely sounds as if singing from, or singing to someone lying in, bed.

But the album really picks up steam in the second half, and not as much with volume or tempo as much as with a strong group of songs. Claiborne definitely stacked the back of the deck.

“My How we Change!” gradually brings up the tenor of the album while the two most fantastic songs on the album are side-by-side in slots seven and eight. “I am learning to pantomime,” contains a catchy guitar hook, beautiful violin accompaniment and a structure that is absolutely air-tight. “Tomorrow in the morning” starts slowly but eventually recruits the sounds of New Orleans and Memphis to help mount an musical offensive with soulful harmonies, reverb-laden lead guitar and a great finish. You should no doubt give the album a few listens, but keep these two on the continual playlist.

Holistically, Time and Temperature is as close to literary as they come these days, meant to gently and sympathetically kick you out of bed at 6:59 and into the 47 degree weather outside. Just be glad we don’t have to worry about the cold again for another 6 months.

Or do we?
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Catch Judson Claiborne at the Benton House on Sunday, April 25, as part of VERS10N Fest!
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Judson Claiborne – “Twilight Spirit”

Twi Spi (2009) from jodie mack on Vimeo.