I recall that last year I was waxing lyrical about the number of great new albums that were released. By March 2013 I had enjoyed Richard Thompson, Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer, Pere Ubu, The Villagers and Steven Wilson. Some haul! And better was to follow!
This year there have been meagre pickings. A bit of a mixed bag in the form of 'High Hopes' from Bruce Springsteen and that has been just about it. Granted I haven't yet gotten round to listening to the latest works by Beck, Seth Lakeman or St. Vincent but reviews of those have not really filled me with enthusiasm.
Consequently I have welcomed with open arms, the latest from the Drive-By Truckers, the results of their first studio sessions for four years.
The writing and singing credits on 'English Oceans' are shared fairly evenly between Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, resulting in what sounds to me like a more varied album than either 'The Big To-Do' or 'Go-Go Boots'. Both of those albums were the result of their previous studio visits back in 2009 and each featured only three Cooley compositions.
Hooked up once again with long time producer David Barbe, they have come up with an album that sounds a little more basic than the two previous releases. Recorded over thirteen days last August, it gives me the impression that the band had fully formed songs ready and knew exactly what they wanted to achieve in the studio. Once again they have delivered the goods (have they ever released a bad disc?) with songs covering political subjects, parenthood, mortality and lost friends. There is also the intriguingly titled 'Pauline Hawkins' which I learn was written by Hood from the point of view of one of the characters in the recently released novel, 'The Free' by Willy Vlautin who of course fronts his own excellent band, Richmond Fontaine.
It's a great rocking, catchy record with the usual lyrical storytelling and at the present time, is the main (nay, only) contender for album of the year.
Thank goodness for the 'Truckers'.
I first began following the Drive-By Truckers about ten years ago. My first experience of them was the 2003 album 'Decoration Day' and I then quickly bought 2001's 'Southern Rock Opera'. Being totally hooked I have since obtained each of their five studio albums since, as well as catching them live whenever I've had the opportunity. Their last two albums 'The Big To-Do' (2010) and 'Go-Go Boots' (2011) seemed to come hot on the heels of each other, but so far this year, they have been quiet as far as recordings go.
Thankfully however, the gap has been filled by the release of a third 'solo' album by front-man Patterson Hood. 'Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance' was released in September this year and for fans of The Truckers or Patterson Hood, I can guarantee that this will not disappoint.
Originally conceived as a semi-autobiographical novel, the songs on this album cover a low period in the life of their composer. In the early 1990's at the age of 27, his marriage ended, his band broke up and he left his home in Northern Alabama to travel to Memphis. As Hood himself says: "My car got stolen, our band's truck got stripped and I fell in love. I fell out with my family (who I was very, very close to) and had my heart broken. I seriously pondered killing myself several times but instead wrote literally over 500 songs in a three-year period."
It all sounds like listening to this album could be a very depressing experience but this is not so. Hood can now look back at that period from a perspective of being a happy family man with a relatively successful band and this is reflected in some of the songs. Although all of the Drive-By Truckers appear on the album, this is clearly the work of Hood himself and despite the distinctive vocals, the album could never be confused as being by the band. Musically the album may at times sound like Hood laying down song demos for the band but lyrically Hood proves yet again that he has a keen grasp of imagery and observation. Personally I like the stripped down feel of the record as it allows the words to stand out, provoking all kinds of feelings and emotions. I found myself making comparisons with the recent album by Neil Young ('Psychedelic Pill') in which on one track ('Driftin' Back') Young drones on about a range of fairly boring subjects over 27 minutes. Patterson Hood on the other hand tells a story with feeling in a fraction of the time. I know which I prefer.
I would not wish to single out any particular track but should mention the poignantly beautiful 'Come Back Little Star'. This is a tribute to the late Vic Chesnutt who himself was a tortured soul and suffered his own demons, something I am sure Hood can relate to.
Unlike 'Psychedelic Pill' this is an album I find myself listening to regularly and I have little doubt that it will be up there in my top ten records of 2012.
