Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddys -Another Lost Highway
2011, Arty Hill
Arty Hill is well-known insongwriting circles, with songs of his recorded by the likes of Jason & TheScorchers, the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, Marti Brom and the Sapphires, butHill is a pure performer as well. Drawing crowds from his home base inBaltimore to Austin, Texas, Hill takes honky-tonk country to a new level. Thistranscendence is abundantly clear on the latest effort from Arty Hill And TheLong Gone Daddys, Another Lost Highway.
Another Lost Highway soars, and the reason becomes apparent in the opening track.Hill explores the pure joy of music in "Roll Me A Song", blendingrockabilly, blues and the sort of exuberant pick work usually reserved forbluegrass circles. "Roll Me A Song" isn't just a song, but a missionstatement that describes what is to come. "Mae Dawn" is a love songto a call girl, full of the hope and tragedy that seems like it should becliché but somehow is not. Hill recounts time in detox in "OmahaICU", wrapping a nifty arrangement around a harsh subject painted insubtle undertones. Hill gets back to a love of music on "King Of ThatThing", an ode to a pedal steel man. The six-string guitar work here is sosubtle and refined you'd think that Hill was channeling Chet Atkins.
"Another Lost Highway" isa classic-style country trucker's lament. Hill has constructed a wonderfulmelody here, and a joyously feckless violin dances and fills thecounter-melody. Rock and country blend on "Big Drops Of Trouble",featuring, once again, some seriously notable guitar work. Hill puts onsomething of a clinic here, and the guitar players out there will be dissectingthe song for hours. Hill actively works to nullify heartbreak on "12 Pack Morning",in a classic bit of country pique, before moving into "HalfwayHouse". This is a great tune that bears the essence of Johnny Cash. Anentertaining number, Hill again reminds listener of how good he is with asix-string in his hand.
2011, Arty Hill
Arty Hill is well-known insongwriting circles, with songs of his recorded by the likes of Jason & TheScorchers, the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, Marti Brom and the Sapphires, butHill is a pure performer as well. Drawing crowds from his home base inBaltimore to Austin, Texas, Hill takes honky-tonk country to a new level. Thistranscendence is abundantly clear on the latest effort from Arty Hill And TheLong Gone Daddys, Another Lost Highway.
Another Lost Highway soars, and the reason becomes apparent in the opening track.Hill explores the pure joy of music in "Roll Me A Song", blendingrockabilly, blues and the sort of exuberant pick work usually reserved forbluegrass circles. "Roll Me A Song" isn't just a song, but a missionstatement that describes what is to come. "Mae Dawn" is a love songto a call girl, full of the hope and tragedy that seems like it should becliché but somehow is not. Hill recounts time in detox in "OmahaICU", wrapping a nifty arrangement around a harsh subject painted insubtle undertones. Hill gets back to a love of music on "King Of ThatThing", an ode to a pedal steel man. The six-string guitar work here is sosubtle and refined you'd think that Hill was channeling Chet Atkins.
"Another Lost Highway" isa classic-style country trucker's lament. Hill has constructed a wonderfulmelody here, and a joyously feckless violin dances and fills thecounter-melody. Rock and country blend on "Big Drops Of Trouble",featuring, once again, some seriously notable guitar work. Hill puts onsomething of a clinic here, and the guitar players out there will be dissectingthe song for hours. Hill actively works to nullify heartbreak on "12 Pack Morning",in a classic bit of country pique, before moving into "HalfwayHouse". This is a great tune that bears the essence of Johnny Cash. Anentertaining number, Hill again reminds listener of how good he is with asix-string in his hand.
"Breaking-Up Party" is asolid bit if blue country with a healthy dose of optimism woven inside.
Infidelity is the subject of "Victoria's Secret Is Safe With Me", asolid story song that's perhaps a bit trite, but nonetheless entertaining."Blackwater Wildlife" is a danceable honky-tonk party that breaks outinto fits of raucous rockabilly. You won't be able to get this one out of yourhead. Another Lost Highway closes with "The Last Time I'll Ever GoAway", a sad tale about a travelling man who gains the road but loses hisfamily in the process. When push comes to shove, he realizes that what he'slosing isn't worth what he's gained, and in an unlikely turn in country music,he gets a second chance. This positive lift at the end is perfect closure foran album that turns expectations on their heads.
Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddyshit new heights on Another Lost Highway. Rather than an apex, however,the album suggests a band continuing to rise. Hill is a masterful songwriterand storyteller, and he is surrounded by first class musicians. Another LostHighway was checked along the way by illness, death of a band member andarguments with Hill's former record label, but you'd never know it from the endproduct. Another Lost Highway is utterly brilliant.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Arty Hill at www.artyhill.com.
CD MP3 iTunesInfidelity is the subject of "Victoria's Secret Is Safe With Me", asolid story song that's perhaps a bit trite, but nonetheless entertaining."Blackwater Wildlife" is a danceable honky-tonk party that breaks outinto fits of raucous rockabilly. You won't be able to get this one out of yourhead. Another Lost Highway closes with "The Last Time I'll Ever GoAway", a sad tale about a travelling man who gains the road but loses hisfamily in the process. When push comes to shove, he realizes that what he'slosing isn't worth what he's gained, and in an unlikely turn in country music,he gets a second chance. This positive lift at the end is perfect closure foran album that turns expectations on their heads.
Arty Hill And The Long Gone Daddyshit new heights on Another Lost Highway. Rather than an apex, however,the album suggests a band continuing to rise. Hill is a masterful songwriterand storyteller, and he is surrounded by first class musicians. Another LostHighway was checked along the way by illness, death of a band member andarguments with Hill's former record label, but you'd never know it from the endproduct. Another Lost Highway is utterly brilliant.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Arty Hill at www.artyhill.com.
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