The High Hawks recorded their sophomore album in Minnesota at historic Pachyderm Studios, close to the Mississippi River and Highway 61. What would roll out on Mother Nature’s Show would be a journey through the heartlands of the USA, from the snowy north to the sunny south.
The band, Vince Herman guitar, Tim Carbone fiddle/guitars, Chad Staehly keys, Adam Greuel guitar, Brian Adams bass, Will Trask drums/percussion, made their names in Americana acts such as Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Hard Working Americans, and others, but share vocals and songwriting duties, coming together with ease as The High Hawks.
The slow waltzing Country/Folk/Americana starts things under the cold, clear night air as “Diamond Sky” eases the listener into the adventure. The group is comfortable in almost all genres, defaulting to the catch-all roots-rock as they move along with breezy pop twang on the destination track “Somewhere South”, the driving “Radio Loud” and the lightly country motoring “Same Old Stories” all of which scratch the same itch.
Things shift a bit with “Temperature Is Rising” which plugs in crunchy electric guitars that duel to close, but not before lyrically addressing a country on the edge, questioning friendships, and reality. The energetic “Fox River Blues” moves into a clear improv space with Carbone’s violin taking center stage and shining bright. Both efforts will certainly gain expansive life onstage, a place where The High Hawks are most comfortable.
The band plays around with groove in a couple of formations on Mother Nature’s Show. They get heads bobbing in country fashion for the title track, in a bluesy vein for “Somewhere In The Middle” (sounding like a revved up “Spoonful”), and get funky with bass, electro keys, and fiddle for the quirky “Backwater Voodoo”. On their road trip, New Orleans gets a quick stop over for the fun, old-time, bluegrass-twinged “Top Shelf, Rock Bottom” while “This Is What Love Feels Like” plays like a wedding song, and just manages to stay out of the corny bin with excellent vocals, and a sense of itself.
Mother Nature’s Show wraps up on a positive note as “Shine Your Blues” is a marching finale that radiates sunshiny good vibes as The High Hawks deliver their varied roots rock with ease, comfort, and familiarity.
