Maurice Hope – June 29, 2016 at 09:09AM
Tags:_AMERICANA
Produced by Larry Campbell (Levon Helm, Lucy Kaplansky, Bob Dylan etc) the latest offering from the Hackensaw Boys oozes quality and restless rambling from ever-probing band members David Sickman (guitar), Ferd Moyse (fiddle), Brian Gorby (charismo, percussion), Thomas Oliver (upright bass, mandolin) and Jimmy Sterling (banjo). The songs for the record, the bands 11th in their seventeen years of existence are either solo compositions by Sickman or Moyse other than a co-write from Sickman and Campbell “The Sweet”(on which Campbell plays fiddle).
Awash in a rich heritage of old fashioned virtues in their instrumental approach and lyrics the boys cultivate music of the Appalachians with music of the Delta, and like with the homemade instrument of recycled discarded parts they bring in an energy and own loose fitting style of delivery. One that owes itself not only to the aforementioned but improvised caught in the moment hues set to make your feet itch to dance, and I hasten to add, origins born on sessions on a rural back porch. As for the album title it comes from a percussion instrument used by the band, made up of recycled wood and scrap; tin cans, hubcaps and other spent objects. Invented by an early day member, Justin Neuhardt it has been an ever present since the band started.
Among the standouts you have the terrific traditional sounding “By And By” and with weathered lead vocals rattling a few chains from down below the fiddle and banjo warmed “The Sweet” ticks all the boxes as far as I am concerned. Organic and original the boys keep their options open as the produce a bunch of songs well suited to their style, to go with the about you have a more rustic “Ol’ Nick” (where you have Appalachian and a slice or two Eastern European gypsy flavours married together) bustling affair “You Want Me To Change”, “Don’t Bet Against Me” that could, just as easily be one of Levon Helm’s. Plus there is arguably the best song on the record, “Flora” who (in the story) if he died tomorrow she would not care one iota.
The band’s gigs this week in London, Cardiff, Newcastle and Maverick Festival (Suffolk) are genuine highlights of the summer on the music front, and not to be missed.
Maurice Hope
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