There are several ways to interpret the title of Vic Chesnutt's

major label debut, About To Choke. Vic, being a modest fellow and the

subject of the recent, universally well received tribute Sweet Relief II:

Gravity of the Situation, may be referring to his humble embarrassment at

all the attention he's received. Or the title may refer to the pressure he

feels knowing that he'll receive even more notice now that he's moved to

Capitol Records from the small Texas Hotel label.

About To Choke

features a dozen songs, some of which were recorded in Vic's home of Athens,

Georgia, while others were laid down by the Hudson River in New York with

members of Agitpop. Chesnutt produced half of the album himself, with John

Keane and Agitpopers John de Vries and Mark La Falce lending a hand on the

other half. Bob Mould mixed the album.

About To Choke begins with

Vic's acoustic guitar and a very sparse piano on "Myrtle," in which he sings of

whittling with an X-acto knife. The image is appropriate for Chesnutt's work:

ages old, like the craft of whittling, yet also specific and of our time, like

the product reference to the X-acto knife. After this number, Chestnutt moves

into "New Town," a song that sounds very familiar even on first listen. The

tune is perfect for an autumn release. Its outdoor sounds and shuffling brush

drums conjure up the wistfulness of the dying time of year, but also the lively

refreshment of a blast of brisk fall air.

Ladle" is apt to draw comments about Chesnutt's

association with Michael Stipe and R.E.M. After the first few bars of Vic's

distorted acoustic guitar, you expect to hear Stipe chime in with the lyrics.

More interesting in a quirky fashion is Chesnutt's collaboration with his wife

Tina on "(It's No Secret) Satisfaction." Tina's drums sound as if they're

sampled from an old record while the keyboard-bass evokes a tugboat image. For

just over a minute, the song's looped vocals turn on a fuzzy spacey vibe that's

slightly reminiscent of Chesnutt's take on "It's the End of the World As We

Know It.

"Satisfaction" gets interrupted by "Little Vacation," a fine tune

with Lawrence Welk-y keyboards. In this song Chesnutt mixes ballroom dance and

political imagery, promising to act as a combination master of ceremonies and

parliamentarian. When he sings, "Why don't we have a little council meeting

where everybody takes the floor," you feel as if you could grab your grandma

and take her out for an old fashioned spin around the hall.

Chesnutt closes

the album with a cut-to-the-chase relationship dismissal called "See You

Around." "I ain't got time for the niceties," he sings before correcting

himself: "Or rather, I was never ever fond of the niceties." The song's

combined anger and hurt suggest nothing so much as Dylan's "Positively 4th

Street.

About To Choke finds its way into stores on November 12,

which happens to be Vic's birthday. We're sure he'll consider the royalties

from your purchase a fine present. In the meantime, you can hunt down his Texas

Hotel records, Little, West of Rome, Drunk, and Is the

Actor Happy?