[rating=8.00]
Like the innumerable brethren within the demographic to which their name alludes, Hard Working Americans are an amalgam of distinct personalities, united within a bond of support around Todd Snider’s keenly wrought songs. The strength of Rest in Chaos, however, is the humble means by which the six individual personalities graciously assume roles that nurture their solidarity within this band.
As evinced on “Opening Statement,” Snider clearly loves the English language, for its own sake and as a means to the end of telling apocryphal stories like that of “Dope Is Dope” or creating vivid characters such as those that populate “Throwing the Goats.” And his weathered voice, combined with an unaffected vocal delivery, only adds to the indelible effect of his singing. That, in turn, compels reading the lyrics printed on the liner insert. Yet if Snyder’s melodic gifts didn’t match his verbal virtues, Hard Working Americans wouldn’t have such fertile ground to hoe.
The economical decoration added by guitarist Neal Casal complements that of his fretboard counterpart Jesse Aycock on the initial cut, while the rhythm section of Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools and Panic drummer Duane Trucks (brother of Derek), metronomic in the most positive sense, also create an increasingly foreboding air with each successive beat on “It Runs Together.” The other projects to which these players contribute precludes overstatement within the this ensemble: they all know they can afford to be restrained and judicious in their contributions.
Hearing finely tuned vocal harmonies on the refrain of “Half Ass Moses” reminds how versatile is this band’s array of virtues, all of which are rooted in the sextet’s sure command of the fundamentals of singing and playing. And this down to earth approach allows them to successfully build a track like that of “Burnt Out Shoes,” layered aplenty while still maintaining a measure of simplicity, because the instruments, particularly Chad Staehly’s keyboards, are so evenly spread across the stereo spectrum.
Whether producer Schools made the decision or not, it was smart to arrange Bob Ludwig to master of Rest in Chaos: his expertise maintains a sonic clarity that captures the multiplicity of sounds on these thirteen cuts. But as “Roman Candles”attests, such technical know how also creates an enveloping atmosphere that furthers a sensation of this album as a dream sequence in song. Even with its confessional intent, “Ascending into Madness” (from which lyrics this album derives its title) extends that sensory impact.
In a similar instance of savvy sequencing, a short, stripped-down take on Guy Clark’s “The High Price of Inspiration” (with the author playing guitar) leads almost immediately into the appropriately cacophonous “Acid.” The song’s textural intensity is ideal as the penultimate track on the record, especially as “Purple Mountain Jamboree, ” a slice of gospel-tinged bedrock boogie, brings this varied affair to a solid close. Along with Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, Hard Working Americans are reconfiguring elements of folk, country and rock into a combustible mix of the visceral and cerebral. As such, their romps through a song like “Throwing the Goats,” call as loudly for singing, dancing and air-guitaring along as “Massacre” will thrust any listener deep into soul searching.
2 Responses
Nice review, but man, so overwritten it’s painful to read.