Trouble in Mind
by: Hayes Carll
(Lost Highway)
Hayes Carll seems to be cut from the very same magic songwriter cloth that Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snyder and John Prine were cut from. While I really enjoyed his previous two albums, Trouble in Mind knocks those in the dirt. This one is chock full of absolutely brilliant musical arrangements, melodies, Southern accents and most of all, lyrics.
I have now listened to this one five times, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite CDs, featuring songs like “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart,” “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” and the Kristoffersonesque “Beaumont.” What a great song.
Along for the journey are some of the best musicians anywhere, including, Dan Baird, Darrell Scott, Will Kimbrough and former Flying Burrito Brother Al Perkins.
I especially like the upbeat and clever, banjo driven “Girl Downtown” and the irreverent and funny “She Left Me for Jesus.” That one really brings to mind the writing of one of my true heroes, the late Shel Silverstein.
Sure, Hayes Carll is a big deal nowadays in his home state of Texas, but I have a feeling he is on his way to world fame. I now have a second singer/songwriter I want to see win a Grammy, Paul Thorn and Hayes Carll.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
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