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Rave recordings…
Paul K The Big Nowhere
(Silenz import) ****
Paul Kopasz is one of the great unknown songwriters of our time. He has
been doling out homemade cassettes by the dozens for years, but this is
his first major release, a crisply produced, 14-song solo work for a Dutch
record company (and reportedly a prelude to a new domestic album on the
Homestead Label). A former heroin addict, Kopasz has wandered homeless and
penniless through New York and done time in a Cincinnati jail, so his
songs about being down-and-out have a riveting authenticity. Without
self-pity or cheap sentiment, he dissects his fear and self-loathing,
examining the beast inside through a cast of misfits, criminals and
junkies. A couple of musicians add occasional bass and organ, but Kopasz's
voice and guitar (at times multitracked on electric and acoustic) are the
record’s central focus. In such a spare setting, the strength of these
powerfully chilling songs becomes even more immediately apparent. (The
disc is available from Paul K, P.O Box 897, Lexington, Ky. 40587-0897.)
Greg Kot
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