Damion Suomi and The Minor Prophets – “Go, And Sell All of Your Things”

I don’t know about you, but whenever I stumble into an Irish pub 30 minutes before last call, the night tends to unfold in a certain, spectacular order. With a pint in each hand, it’s customary for me to rant, roar, and shamelessly hop around the dance floor to a slew of Irish drinking songs. If you can’t relate, don’t fret. Take a listen to Damion Suomi and The Minor Prophets’ debut Go, And Sell All Of Your Things and imagine yourself in this exact scenario – essentially, it emits the same feeling.

Choir singer turned Bible scholar/beer lover/frontman Suomi has an array of personae – luckily, his mound of characters and four apostolic bandmates, Ian and Gavin Little, Zac Sullivan, and David Fountain sleekly merge to create a piece of prophetic folk-rock art.

The sound, as expected, is as eccentric as Suomi himself. At times, he’s channeling a 1920s lounge pianist with echoing, flapper-esque enthusiasm. At other times, he’s roaring with stampede-like intensity over the clinking of glasses and riffs of a steel guitar. Then there are special moments, as Suomi’s raspy howls are backed by the light percussion of a shaker, when you find yourself physically holding your breath in fear of disrupting the wholesome sound that only a perfect melodic arrangement can create.

While the Biblical references may be off-putting for those, like myself, who know more about draught beers than the Book of Ecclesiastes, it’s not completely discerning. His lyrics maintain a sense of wisdom that isn’t drowned by prophecy and his sounds are hymnal, without being choir-like. It’s folky, fun, and, if anything, one helluva – forgive me – heckuva good listen.

Track Listing:

01. The Call
02. Camel
03. The Teacher
04. Mustard Seed
05. Holy Ghost
06. Dog from Hell (And His Good Advice)
07. I Hope You Die Sad and Alone
08. City on a Hill
09. Pearls (Before The Swine)
10. Stones
11. Let My Love
12. The Lion, The Ram & The Fish

Run Time: 49:00
Release Date: April 12, 2011

Check out the song: “Mustard Seed”