Hayes Carll | Trouble In Mind

Hayes Carll’s third album Trouble In Mind and his first for Lost Highway records, is what you would expect from Hayes; well crafted songs with quality instrumentation. From the opening “Drunken Poet’s Dream” to the closing “amen” on the hilarious “She Left Me For Jesus” Trouble In Mind is fifty minutes well spent. Hayes is a country singer in the Texas troubadour tradition of Townes Van Zant and Ray Wilie Hubbard (who co-wrote “Drunken Poet’s Dream” with Hayes) not to be confused with the “country” coming from Nashville these days. Songs of missed opportunity, lost love, and drinking; once standards of country music, are prevalent on this record yet these themes have a fresh sound while hearkening back to the honky tonks of Texas.

Musically, the sound on this album ranges from the sparse Willing To Love Again (acoustic guitar and slide guitar) to full band numbers while never approaching instrumentation overkill. Helping Hayes on guitar are a pair of well known guitarists Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket) and Will Kimbrough (Todd Snider). Lyrically Hayes is in top form with the sorrowful “Don’t Let Me Fall”:

Killin’ this pain, outside in the rain/One hand holds a bottle, one hand holds my pain/I don’t know which comes first, I don’t know which is worse/Riding behind or inside a hearse

or the humorous “She Left Me For Jesus”:

She left me for Jesus, and that just ain’t fair/She says, “That he’s perfect,” how could I compare/She says, “I should find HIm,” and I’ll know peace at last/But if I ever find Jesus, I’m kicking his ass.

Rounding out the set of mostly penned Hayes tunes is a great cover of Tom Wait’s “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.”

Trouble In Mind is a piece of work that has a timelessness quality to it. It’s an album that could have been recorded in the 1970’s or yesterday with songs that will stand the test of time. And while it will largely go unnoticed by the general public, it should be lauded for what it is, country music the way country music should be played.

+++HIGHLY RECOMMENDED+++

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Hayes Carll – Trouble in Mind (April 8)

I don’t know about you, but I almost always hesitate to say that I listen to country music when discussing music with others. It’s not the I’m ashamed of it, it’s just I always feel the need to qualify exactly what country music I listen to. When you say that you listen to country music, one’s mind typically goes to Garth Brooks, Allen Jackson, Kenn Chesney, and one can’t forget Big & Rich and others. [Just to clarify, all of those I listed and pretty much everything played on country radio & CMT I don’t think very highly of (to say the least). Why? Well that’s a rant for another day.] I then feel the need to tell about the country bands I do like, most of which are unknown to the general population. Which then tends to lead to a much longer, detailed discussion then the other person is likely interested in having. One of the names I do mention is Hayes Carll.

Hayes Carll plays country music as it should be played, with heart, soul, and without the intervening of Nashville. Hayes is a Texas singer/songwriter in the tradition of Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earl and Townes Van Zant. Trouble In Mind (out April 8 ) will be Hayes’ third album and first for Lost Highway Records and will be available on 180 gram vinyl as well as cd. Five songs from Trouble In Mind can be heard on Hayes’ Myspace page.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Drunken Poet’s Dream
2. It’s A Shame
3. Girl Downtown
4. Bad Liver And A Broken Heart
5. Beaumont
6. I Got A Gig
7. Faulkner Street
8. Wild As A Turkey
9. Don’t Let Me Fall
10. A Lover Like You
11. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
12. Knockin’ Over Whiskeys
13. Willing To Love Again
14. She Left Me For Jesus

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Hayes also has numerous live shows worth checking out on the Live Music Archive I can highly recommend his show from the Cheatham Street Warehouse on November 30, 2006 with His Imaginary Band (in other words, it’s a solo show).

Wish I Hadn’t Stayed So Long

Hey Baby Where You Been?

It’s A Shame