On The Baptist Generals’ sophomore album, the word “heart” repeats eight*** times. The Denton, TX band, known for its haunting, claustrophobic take on drunken folk, needed ten full years to bare its hearts—one of which is in the album title, Jackleg Devotional to the Heart, a name that songwriter Chris Flemmons conjured shortly after he recorded, and then trashed, the album’s first attempt in 2005.

Flemmons goes so far as to call this his “love album,” and it’s an apt description—though love through The Baptist Generals’ eyes is plenty complicated. Jackleg’s hearts don’t resemble valentines. No smooth curls into a final point. The band’s vibraphones, guitarrons and ambient feedback combine like a mess of ventricles, aortas and veins—not to mention, from the sound of it, all of the blood spilled while Jackleg lurched for years toward an eventual finish line.

“After this bad accident, I wanna follow your scent, but you won’t answer my call,” Flemmons cries in the kick-down-the-door, Crazy Horse-loving opener of “Dog That Bit You.” And it’s hard to tell who he’s pleading with in this harpsichord-driven take on scorned love. Maybe himself.

For years, Flemmons did everything he could to avoid facing Jackleg, from hiding in his house to obsessing over out-of-town condo developers (long story). His biggest project, a successful music festival he founded called 35 Denton, kept him in the local spotlight, which meant he continued hearing plenty about his critically-acclaimed 2003 full-length debut No Silver/No Gold. The dog kept biting.

Which meant, eventually the songs won out.

Finally getting those on tape meant Flemmons needed to let go. A self-proclaimed control freak, Flemmons had to strike a deal before his band mates would…

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The Baptist Generals - Jackleg Devotional to the Heart

SP648 - Released: May 21, 2013

On The Baptist Generals’ sophomore album, the word “heart” repeats eight*** times. The Denton, TX band, known for its haunting, claustrophobic take on drunken folk, needed ten full years…

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Full Lengths

No Silver/No Gold

Jackleg Devotional to the Heart

EPs

Void Touching Faster Victuals

• The Baptist Generals - Broken Glass (MP3)
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• The Baptist Generals - Dog That Bit You (MP3)
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• The Baptist Generals - Going Back Song (MP3)
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• Promo Photo - Photo Credit: Peter Salisbury

• Bio - Jackleg Devotional to the Heart - Bio

• Cover - Void Touching Faster Victuals
• Cover - No Silver/No Gold
• Cover - Jackleg Devotional to the Heart

• PopMatters review of *Jackleg Devotional to the Heart*