Maurice Hope – May 9, 2016 at 06:27AM
Tags:_AMERICANA
From the first note I was hooked, and though I’ve been a fan of Hayes Carll from the beginning his music sounds as fresh to me as the day I discovered him.
Produced by John Henry the album, Carll’s fifth studio record was recorded in October (12th-15th) last year at Stampede Origin, Culver City California. It has a tight set of players assist his acoustic guitar and vocals in Jay Bellerose (drums, percussion), Tyler Chester (piano, organ, wurlitzer), Eric Heywood (pedal steel) and David Piltch (electric, upright bass).
It is hard to believe that Carll’s breakthrough album Little Rock was back in 2004, and now three albums later his work and standard is still growing! Carll’s songwriting is up there with the best. On this album he is joined by a mighty impressive set of tunesmiths in Darrell Scott, Will Hoge, Jack Ingram, Allison Moorer and J.D. Souther among others. It is a strong record, a wonderful bunch of songs with no album fillers in sight. That’s one thing with singer-songwriters of his standing they don’t do fillers opposed to mainstream country where you sometimes have your fillers. First track “Drive” is a superb fluid piece of writing and it has melody that sticks. Written with Lauderdale it has class written all over it, and to prove it was no fluke he continues in pretty much the same way though out as he speaks of a man who built cars which never left the stand. How he would sit in the front seat and turn the dial of the radio, the only thing working of the vehicle and listen to baseball and dream of places he’ll never go. “You Leave Alone” penned with Scott Nolan is storytelling at its best.
Don’t be the least surprised if “You Leave Alone” gains a slot among the best songs of 2016, and it just might win the award in Texas. It’s sure to have a great deal of competition. One or two could well come from Lovers And Leavers such the fine selection of songs. His co-write with Ingram and Moorer “The Love We Need” eases nicely along to the accompaniment piano, guitar and percussion as he speaks of a couple who don’t not have the life they wanted but not the love they need, and how it has come the time to quit hiding. Poignant. “Love Don’t Let Me Down” is another love song as he looks ahead, mellow and determined it is one of three co-writes with Darrell Scott; the superb. The first and best is “Sake Of The Song”, a monster of track possessing a fierce passion as he speaks of being honest to one’s self for the sake of the song. Another is the one that immediately follows the former in the running order “The Magic Kid”. Written about his nine-year-old son is a sombre, stripped-down affair, melancholy even. The record is given a lift in spirit through “Love Is Easy”, with wurlitzer, smart rhythm section and pretty acoustic guitar it ticks all the boxes. Closing cut “Jealous Moon” has a dreamy feel, and an unlikely co-writer in J.D Souther. Best known for providing the Eagles’ with some of the biggest hits Souther is a classy songwriter and was no mean recording artist in his own right. if a couple of songs are a mite slow, melancholy and wistful then give then a little longer before you decide what’s best.
Maurice Hope
—
Feed: http://ift.tt/1J7TdNm
Inoreader Page: http://ift.tt/1rK31GD
Blog post: http://ift.tt/1OaUpDh