Cody's Dream

With a voice that wouldn’t sound out of place in an old western film or leading a grandiose English Goth group, former Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel evokes a creepy, desolate scorched earth where it sounds as if he’s limped his way to the next neighboring town — barely. As befits a man signed to Chicago’s insurgent country rock label Bloodshot Records, Pickerel emphasizes the “western” vibe with a backing group that plays a sparse, mariachi static that’s determined to sit alongside the works of Tucson, Arizona’s finest, Calexico.  Pickerel’s sober and contemplative cover of Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee” fits perfectly alongside his originals that occasionally gear up for a victory dance (“She Sleeps Through Sirens”) but mostly march single-mindedly to their fated destination (The seven minute “Deep Inside Your Shade” begins as a slow trudge that slowly percolates to catharsis). Notable guests such as Ian Moore and Heather Duby add vocals and haunting touches. But it’s mostly Pickerel’s death growl that dominates the mood.