Sold Out to the Devil: A Collection of Gospel Cuts by the Rev. Scott H. Biram is a remastered collection of Biram’s warped brimstone country blues gospel songs from his back catalog along with one unreleased cover of “Broadminded” by the Louvin Brothers. Given Biram’s penchant for raw Americana/roots music, it is no surprise that the singer/songwriter would be interested in gospel/spirituals and that he would have recorded enough of them for a full gospel album, especially given his interpretation of gospel as a record of sin, failure, and imperfect human nature. Notable tracks include: the driving acoustic opener and cover of Son House’s “Get me Religion (Preachin’ the Blues)”; the sepia-toned version of “John the Revelator”; the bluesy Howlin’ Wolf-esque “Been Down Too Long”; a cover of The Reverend Gary Davis’ track “God Don’t Work (Like a Natural Man)”; the epic up-tempo boogie “I See The Light”; and a woeful cover of the traditional classic, “Amazing Grace.” Whether your soul is in need of saving or not, Sold Out to the Devil: A Collection of Gospel Cuts by the Rev. Scott H. Biram is well worth seeking out for a listen. – Written by JFelton
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