I've dug a lot of the records Hayes Carll has put out. His last album though, 2011's KMAG YOYO, lost me a bit. It was just missing some element of his laid back but rockin' Texas music feeling. Maybe it was just him trying to please the bosses at his record label who kept telling him they wanted a hit or something.
Hayes has been through a bit since then both career and personal wise. On his brand new album, Lovers and Leavers, it seems he has wiped the slate clean and stripped everything back down to raw basics. It's a bit darker and moody than a lot of his other records and the folk music vibe is all over the place much more often. It's the sound of a man finding his way back through some dark woods and walking towards porch light he sees in the distance.
Welcome back Hayes.
What are you listening to tonight?
