This is a strong effort that displays almost none of the suffocating perfectionism that some feared.
Maybe less angry in concept, it’s still the drunken folk we’ve come to expect. But it wouldn't be The Baptist Generals without it.
Jackleg succeeds even when its musical resourcefulness is undermined by Flemmons’ overwrought lyrics.
In a genre stacked with pathological mediocrity, Jackleg Devotional to the Heart is a relatively sure-footed success - at worst enjoyable fluff, at best a provocative, quietly electrifying treasure.
That apparent perfectionism was unfortunately misplaced, as the album starts off strong but ends up overcomplicated.