Salvation Town

Social Distortion guitarist Jonny Two Bags (born Jonny Wickersham) delivers a debut solo album, Salvation Town, that takes a subtler, more lyrical look at the classic rock terrain that Social D approached from the punk side. Produced by multi-instrumentalist David Kalish (Rickie Lee Jones), Salvation Town features Elvis Costello’s drummer (the extraordinary Pete Thomas), bassist Zander Schloss (Weirdos, Circle Jerks, Thelonious Monster), and Social D buddies Brent Harding and Danny McGough on bass and keyboards, respectively. Jackson Browne adds vocals to “Then You Stand Alone,” which is further powered by guitar work from David Lindley. Having all these first-rate musicians at his disposal, Wickersham wrote from the heart and came out with an album that would fit comfortably among releases by Bruce Springsteen, Graham Parker, Son Volt, Wilco, and X. The acoustic-based “Clay Wheels” centers on dobro and harmony vocals from a slightly different Southern California scene than this punk veteran’s days with Youth Brigade and U.S. Bombs. A tune like "Forlorn Walls” demands you roll down the windows, cruise the highways, and feel the wind in your hair.