With Greg Cartwright releasing great album after great album with
the Reigning Sound, it's not hard to imagine Jack Yarber, his former bandmate in
the Oblivians and
the Compulsive Gamblers, feeling a bit slighted lately with his lower public profile, and Yarber's first full-length with his new band,
Jack O. & the Tearjerkers, shows Cartwright was hardly the only major talent in those great bands. Don't Throw Your Love Away lacks the emotional heft of Cartwright's best work, and he seems to have a greater interest in consciousness-altering substances these days, judging from his tunes in support of cheap wine ("Mad Dog 20/20") and against current drug law enforcement practices ("Dope Sniffin' Dog"). But Yarber loves the dirty blues and gritty rock & roll more than anything, and he knows how to make 'em come alive in the studio, and from the hard-hitting "Ain't Got No Money" to the lovelorn "Still Got It Bad" and the country-flavored vengeance tale "A Bullet for Ramona" (a cover of an old
Warren Zevon tune), Yarber and his band deliver the goods from front to back on this set. Yarber and John Whittemore are in especially strong form on guitars, and Adam Woodard's keyboards add just the right amount of detail to the arrangements. If you're looking for some no-frills rock and blues in the true Memphis manner, Jack Yarber has what you need, and Don't Throw Your Love Away shows he's open for business, so pick some up pronto. ~ Mark Deming