Yellow Peril is a collection of songs that sounds an awful lot like the field recordings of the 30s and 40s. Except that the producer is Dan Auerbach and Nat Myers is a Korean-American examining his American experience through Depression-era rural blues.

Nat Myers Yellow Peril (Easy Eye Sound)

The album title track is an incisive turn on the old slur, but that's just the beginning of the wonder here. These are extremely sparse recordings, generally just Myers and a guitar. That's the opposite of the media force beginning to push Myers, which includes a video for the title track that was shot by Jason Momoa.

It might seem that there is a wide gap between the style and the message of the songs. But that's just not so. In many ways, this is the sound of America. And of course, anyone who thinks the Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie were singing songs about the good ol' days just isn't listening. Myers lyrics are bracing, and they're just as honest and true to his soul as the blues and folk of nearly 100 years back.

Despite the aforementioned marketing push, I doubt Nat Myers will ever be headlining festivals. But I'd like to live in a world where he does. His voice makes America brighter. Quite an inspiring full-length debut.

Jon Worley