What It Is – Hayes Carll (2018) reviewed by Mr. Bones

In his 6th release Texas native Hayes Carll plumbs the depths of the national psyche with the wit and craft of a great southern novelist. From None'ya with its 'paint the ceiling purple..because it keeps out the evil spirits', to Fragile Men with 'the whole world is exploding..they all want you to change', the album is as interesting for his wry observance of contemporary America as it is for its expert musicianship. Musically he and the band are equally adept doing poignant bluegrass as they are hammering out Jerry Lee Lewis inspired RnR.

RIYL: Ray Wylie Hubbard, Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Kean

FCC - None detected

#1 **None'ya - drop dead beautiful bluegrass love song. Money back guarantee this tune will put a smile on your face from the first bar (3:28).
#2 *Times Like These - uptempo rocker about the decline of the american dream (2:57).
#3 *Things You Don't Wanna Know - midtempo southern sol lament over a relationship with funky bridge (3:10)
#4 *If I May Be So Bold - fun, uptempo country rocker about a great story teller (3:10)
#5 *Jesus and Elvis - reflection on similarities between Jesus and Elvis inspired by the black velvet paintings in a Texas dive bar (3:20)
#6 *American Dream - uptempo with great fiddle & banjo pickin (3:58)
#7 *Be There - bittersweet, downtempo with sublime steel guitar and orchestration (3:06).
#8 *Beautiful Thing - Rootsy rocker about a bon vivant couple whose best days are behind them (3:00)
#9 *What It Is - beautiful, uptempo with exquisite banjo picking (3:10)
#10 *Fragile Men – slow, mostly acoustic number looking at masculinity in the 21'st century inspired by racist march in Charlottesville (2:39)
#11 Wild Pointy Finger – swamp blues rocker about being closed minded (3:42)
#12 * I Will Stay - slow, lightly orchestrated (2:34)

* Mr. Bones especially likes these