Reviews
December 2004
Utah singer/songwriter Brenn Hill has the hard-edged catchiness
of many Texas country music artists such as Radney Foster
and Charlie Robison. Great stories, gritty but not intrusive
vocals, and trademark Western-stylized instrumentation give
this disc a reason for at least one good listen.
The opening cut, "Buckaroo Tattoo," kicks off
with some great driving sounds. From there, the tempo moves
from honky-tonk slow dancers to roots-rock cruisers. Stories
among the songs are pretty much standard: lost love, the
girl he just couldn't get, travelogue descriptions of the
prairies, comforting barrooms, and Native American history.
Perhaps this could be reason to brush this CD aside, but
hearing Hill's honesty in his voice draws you in. It is
his inflections, vocal tones, and variance of true crooning
to whispering when necessary that all add up to a great
traditional country singer. Standout cuts include "My
Old Chevy," with its Cajun-flavored fiddle, and "One
Hand In the Riggin'," which has some great David Lindley-influenced
slide work.
Slide guitar and dobro work throughout the disc is provided
by modern legend Colin Linden. The guitar tones help create
a wonderful aural picture that supplements Hill's outstanding
voice. For anyone feeling sentimental about the late 80s/early
90s young traditional country sound from acts like Foster
& Lloyd, The O'Kanes and early Dwight Yoakam, Endangered
may help fill the emptiness.
--Matt Merta
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July/August 2004
The latest album by Brenn Hill could be the artist's best
yet, showcasing what has to be considered his ever-increasing
proficiency with a tune, his growth as a performer and writer,
and his keener sense of his place in the musical landscape.
If that
landscape is to be thought of as the Western landscape, then
Hill occupies an ever-more-prominent position in it.
Produced by Eddie Schwartz and recorded at Ocean Way and Sound
Stage studios in Nashville, Endangered is a collection
of 14 songs with a fuller sound, more intricate arrangements,
higher production values, and just a more individualistic
stamp on it than Hill's previous work. Hill has developed
an ever-broadening audience and has caught the eye of other,
more-established artists, as attested to by the fact that
he has opened for such acts as Chris LeDoux, Terri Clark,
Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Red Steagall, Michael Martin Murphey,
and Riders in the Sky. His touring range has broadened to
include some venues east of the Mississippi River.
"Buckaroo Tattoo" is finding its way onto playlists,
particularly in Texas, but "Dance Like the Fire"
is easily the best cut in this
cycle of songs. "My Old Chevy" is an upbeat number
that captures the spirit of intergenerational ties out in
the wide-open
spaces. "One Hand in the Riggin'" is a paean to
rodeo and self-determination.
--Jesse Mullins |
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All rights reserved Brenn Hill
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