Some records are time capsules. Others are battle cries. Digney Fignus’ Black and Blue: The Brick Hill Sessions is both—a weathered dispatch from the edge of a frayed American dream and a rollicking, rootsy soundtrack for holding it all together. Recorded over six years with producer Jon Evans (Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan), this 10-track collection is an Americana gumbo of protest songs, honky-tonk swagger, and bruised optimism—sung by a punk survivor with dirt under his nails and poetry in his blood.
A Veteran Storyteller with His Finger on the Pulse
Fignus, best known for his early MTV Basement Tapes fame and a career straddling Boston punk and folk-rock Americana, has always been more than just a genre-hopper. He’s a storyteller, a satirist, and a social commentator. On Black and Blue, he trades in frustration and tenderness with equal skill, leaning into the unease of the modern world while still searching for connection, joy, and something to laugh about on the way down.
The title track, “Black and Blue,” is the album’s beating heart—a somber, melodic reflection on war, loss, and perseverance. With gospel-tinged backing vocals and lyrics like “I cry for all the people, all around the world”, it delivers its message not with fire but with a flickering candle in the dark. Fignus isn’t shouting from the rooftops—he’s whispering truths into your ear.
Songs for the End of the World—With a Chuckle
Don’t let the heavy themes fool you. This album can swing, shimmy, and boogie like a Saturday night at a Cape Cod roadhouse. Tracks like “Nowhere Boogie” and “She’s Good Lookin’” let loose with greasy slide guitars, B-3 organs, and good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll swagger. “Skinny Minnie” is a rockabilly romp with enough tongue-in-cheek sass to make Jerry Lee Lewis blush.
But it’s “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” that lands the knockout punch. Over mandolin riffs and galloping rhythm, Fignus dismantles political hypocrisy with surgical satire. It’s the kind of folk-funk anthem that could’ve lived on Dylan’s Love and Theft or a particularly sharp Randy Newman LP. “Everybody knows / The emperor wears no clothes” isn’t just a line—it’s a modern mantra.
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Roots-Rock That Listens as Much as It Speaks
Fignus is joined by a cast of stellar players—Evans on bass and guitars, Chris Leadbetter on everything from mandolin to lap steel, and a chorus of harmonies that elevate tracks like “Tell Me You Love Me” and “An Ordinary Day” into something near timeless. The production is warm but never over-polished. You hear the creak in the wood, the breath between lines. It’s music that breathes.
Final Verdict
At 71, Digney Fignus is not trying to keep up with anyone. He’s too busy telling the truth. Black and Blue is a record for the weary, the wise, and the still-willing-to-dance. It’s not slick. It’s not trendy. But it is necessary. In a time of noise, Fignus reminds us how good it feels to hear a real voice sing something that matters.
Essential Tracks: “Black and Blue,” “The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” “Nowhere Boogie,” “Tell Me You Love Me,” “The News”
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)