John Hiatt- Terms of My Surrender (ALBUM REVIEW)

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hiattalbumJohn Hiatt has recorded with his band The Combo before (albeit not since bassist Nathan Gehri replaced Patrick O’Hearn), but he’s never worked so self-sufficiently as on Terms of My Surrender. The brilliant guitarist Doug Lancio assumed the role of producer on this, Hiatt’s twenty-second studio effort, and he helps maintain an earthy atmosphere on the recording without undermining Hiatt’s discerning view of the world.

Quite the contrary, in fact, as right from the beginning on “Long Time Comin’,” while bass, drums and guitar expand to fill the room, the songwriter’s introspection echoes equally loudly. Gauging the passage of time is a recurring theme in Hiatt’s work this decade and Terms of My Surrender maintains that perspective, from the provocative black and white cover photo images to songs like “Face of God.” Yet it’s on this latter track the spontaneity of these sessions is most palpable, not surprisingly, in proportion to Hiatt’s wry approach to weighty issues: simple harmonica lines reinforce the A-A-B verse structure of the blues as effectively as the quick insertion of sprightly mandolin picking by Lancio contrasts it.

Lancio’s insistence that Hiatt play acoustic guitar on these sessions lends an intimacy to tracks such as “Marlene” that bespeaks the personal communication at the heart of the song while the easygoing swing of the band amplifies the approach. Meanwhile, Lancio doesn’t allow his expanded role (as engineer and mixer) to restrict his proficiency as a musician. On “Wind Don’t Hurry,” in fact, his banjo playing provides a foil for the gospel-oriented vocals of Brandon Young on a tune that sounds like a traditional folk number.

“Nobody Knew His Name” radiates a similarly timeless air, largely through the detail with which Hiatt forges the imagery in the lyrics. The seamless continuity of the mix Lancio forges nevertheless allows for the regular appearance of novel sounds and on this cut it’s the tinkling piano of Jon Coleman that lightens the mood just enough to keep Hiatt and band from sounding ponderous. There’s a tongue-in-cheek tone permeating the words (and Hiatt’s singing) of “Baby’s Gonna Kick” that serves the same purpose, offsetting the deliberate gait of Gheri and his partner in rhythm, drummer Kenneth Blevins.

As captured quite clearly on “Nothin’ I Love,” there’s a rough-hewn quality to the sound Doug Lancio’s crafted here that renders the album an accurate reflection of John Hiatt’s persona as it’s emerged during the course of this decade. This titlesong clarifies the extent to which he’s processed his life experience and, in so doing, come to accept his limitations and, as the cliché asserts, turn them into strengths. Thus, instead of moralizing in any way on compositions such as “Here to Stay,” he adopts a healthy detachment, rooted in his role within his band, that speaks volumes. No proselytizing appears on “Old People” either, but instead a comic angle Hiatt uses to erect a respectful tone. The arch angle with which he approaches his subject there only makes the portentous closing track “Come Back Home,” an appropriately vivid conclusion to a record that thrives on its contradictions.

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