DOWNLOAD: Dax Riggs - "No One Will Be A Stranger"
DOWNLOAD: Dax Riggs - "Let Me Be Your Cigarette"

I found it hard not to think about Jeffrey Lee Pierce while listening to Say Goodnight to the World. Both Jeff and Dax have a blues/swamp-rock base in their music and both seem to have a number of personal demons. One difference that I can hear is that Jeffrey always seemed to be trying to exorcise his demons while Dax seems to be quite comfortable on the dark side.

The first thing that I noticed about this disc was Dax's powerful and emotive voice. His controlled delivery ranges from a Jeff Buckley/Ian McCulloch-style emotive plea to a John Cale-style deadpan snarl. The John Cale comparison is reinforeced with a haunting cover of "Heartbreak Hotel" that is about on par with Cale's version (on 1975's Slow Dazzle).

Musically, Say Goodnight to the World jumps between sludgey blues rock, neo-folk, straight-up psychedelic rockers and there are also a few reverb-drenched murder ballads. Staying on par with the dark music, song titles (and lyrical themes) include "I Hear Satan", "Gravedirt on My Blue Suede Shoes" and "Sleeping with the Witch". While Dax's music isn't intended for the light of day, it is perfect for late night listening.

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Dax Riggs