Description:
Hayes Carll released the best Americana album of 2005 in Little Rock. Carll claimed at the time that all the good songs about Texas were already written, but that Arkansas was fertile new territory. And he was right. Trouble in Mind, the followup that arrives on Lost Highway Records April 8th, is worth the three-year wait. Theres the usual colorful cast of characters -- drunkards, roustabouts, country singers -- some of them all rolled into one autobiographical sonic package. Theres a great cover of Tom Waits `I Dont Wanna Grow Up.` There are gut-wrenching ballads like `Faulkner Street` and some great southern fried boogie, courtesy of guitar duelists Will Kimbrough and Georgia Satellites alum Dan Baird. Best of all theres the hilariously vengeful `She Left Me For Jesus,` a good ol boys plot to get back at the man who stole his formerly fun-loving woman. `If I ever find Jesus,` Carll avows, `Im gonna kick his ass.` Theres about forty-five minutes of asskicking here, all of it of the good, stomping musical variety. -- Andy Whitehead, Paste (Lost Highway)
