In his liner notes to
All Over Creation,
Jason Ringenberg writes that touring as a solo act behind
A Pocketful of Soul caused him to spend a lot more time jamming with other musicians in his off hours than he ever had before, which led to this album, which finds him sharing each track with a different act (except for
Kristi Rose and
Fats Kaplin, who pop up twice). While
A Pocketful of Soul focused on the traditional country side of
Ringenberg's musical personality,
All Over Creation is, well, all over the place, spinning between frantic rockabilly ("Honky Tonk Maniac From Mars" with
Hamell on Trial), old-school country (a gender-reversed "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' [With Lovin' on Your Mind]" cut with
BR5-49), balls-out rock & roll (
the Wildhearts sit in on "One Less Heartache"), and subtle acoustic ballads ("I Dreamed My Baby Came Home," with
Rose and
Kaplan). If
All Over Creation lacks the tighter focus of
A Pocketful of Soul, its eclecticism certainly mirrors the embrace of country and rock in all their forms that fueled
Ringenberg's music with
Jason & the Scorchers, and there are more than a few truly stellar tracks here: a new version of "Bible and a Gun" featuring superb vocals from
Steve Earle, a masterful tune about the Irish emigration; "Erin's Seed," recorded with
Lambchop; a striking bluegrass version of
the Gun Club's "Mother of Earth"; and a beautiful lament for the changing south and the ravages of time, "Last Train to Memphis." Despite the many talented guest stars on hand, this is
Jason Ringenberg's show, and
All Over Creation proves once again as both a singer and a tunesmith, he's a talent to be reckoned with. Great stuff. ~ Mark Deming