Hiss Golden Messenger
Released April 2nd 2013 on
Hot on the heels of the first great folk album of the year (Little Arrow) comes the first great Americana album of the year from Hiss Golden Messenger. Haw, their fourth album carries on the fantastic journey that the duo of MC Taylor and Scott Hirsch have been taking through the heartlands of American music. Yes, it’s sort of cool these days to be Americana, but when the music is done this good, it's hard to argue with the results.
Having explored blues, swamp rock and folk amongst other genres on previous albums, it is the shadow of Nashville that rises high over this album. It seems that the country music mecca misses out on a lot of Americana music but ask any self respecting fan or music and they will tell you that this is where it is grounded. It's not for nothing the Gram Parson revered the music.
‘Red Rose Natahala’ kicks off proceedings with its gentle swing and cry of “Oh Lord, won't you make me happy”. Like Nina Simone transplanted into a young white American, this has soul weeping out of it but in classic tradition keeps your toe tapping.
Bob Dylan rears his head on second track ‘Sufferer (Love My Conquerer)’ although only in spirit has the vocals are accompanied by female backing giving it an ethereal edge. The steam of the swamp rises up although there is a contemporary edge to it as well.
‘I Got a Name For the Newborn Child’ brings us back to Nashville while the pleasant musical interlude of ‘Hat of Rain’ gives way to the dramatic ‘Devotion’, a song surely left off one of any of the last ten Bob Dylan albums. Mean, moody, with an almost blues feel to it, it sneaks up on you and insidiously curls itself around your mind.
The exact opposite of this is ‘Sweet As John Hurt’ which is a ray of sunshine and brings to mind Parsons at his happiest. If you fail to smile during this song then you have no soul. Some great steel guitar as well making it a contender for best song on the album. It is one of those songs which carries you along with its story and to say much more would give away too much.
The sound of birdsong carries you over into the nest song ‘Cheerwine Easter’ where things get a bit maudlin, This then takes a sharp left turn with the hoedown fiddle extranvaganza of ‘Hark Maker’ which sort of makes final song ‘Busted Note’ rather redundant. It's a good thing in the end though as we are introduced to female vocals taking over again with an almost West Coast feel to it. A great album which pervades your soul after a few listens and sticks around.
