There’s no preamble, no intro to “For The Love Of Whatever”, as if Hooks And The Huckleberries are bursting to get it all out.
There isn’t much on the email they sent either, beyond it was produced by Matt Pence, who’s worked with Jason Isbell (to be honest that’s enough).
And when they get going on “Pennies On The Rails” it’s a wonderful thing. Taking in drug problems and dead friends, it’s a stunning opener.
Let’s get it out of the way, you can’t listen to “Babylon Is For Lovers” and not hear Drive-By Truckers, and there is a similarity throughout, but however much Adam Hooks sounds like Patterson Hood, then DBT have never written a song for the one that got away like “Somebody Else” and Joshua Lee’s lead guitar takes the likes of “Jemez” into totally different places anyway, while the lyrics always compel.
And never is that more true on the incredible ” Old Econoline”. Hooks looks back on his punk rock past (he was in loads of bands) and tells his tales as a rock n roll lifer.
And “Rock n roll” is apt for the next one, “Singin’ Bout Drinkin’, finds a Dan Baird-ish vibe, and that’s true of “Saint Shaver” as well, as sings about the songs of Billy Joe Shaver, and how they’ve soundtracked his life, and many of us get it (hell, the work of Counting Crows, The Almighty and countless others have soundtracked mine).
And I guess that’s why you feel such a kinship and connection with these songs. The title track makes it plain, you feel like you know Hooks through these songs.
“Small Town True Crime” takes things into a real dark place, HBO miniseries don’t have this plot, trust me here, and it’s a chance for The Huckleberries to really stretch too, and it’s worth discussing how good the band are too. Always finding the right tone, the gorgeous, lugubrious piano of “Indifferent Son”, the Tom Petty feel of “Running On Empty”.
On the aforementioned “…..Econoline” Hooks sings, “toured a million miles, never made a dime. It still don’t matter, in that old Econoline”. And that’s it, that’s why this is so wonderful. Never mind “whatever” it’s all about the love of music for Hook And The Huckleberries. That’s all that counts.
Rating 9/10
