WAYNE HANCOCK - Slingin’ Rhythm

Wayne “The Train” Hancock is one of those take-it-or-leave-it artists. He chose to stop on the landing of mid-1950s rockabilly, just before the last flight of stairs would have pushed him into dressing up as a rock'n'roller to go conquer the world. Ever since the debut of “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs” in 1995, Hancock has tirelessly walked the road with his guitar slung over his shoulder through his small-yet-vast universe, tracing the thousand blue highways of American tradition and reworking country, rockabilly, honky-tonk, western swing and hillbilly boogie with passion and skill. He has released records of simple songs written and performed with heart, sweat and blood, lit up by neon. His dusty old boots are untouched by fashion; he couldn't care less about anything or anyone. There are no profound messages and no intellectual quests, just his plain stories about ordinary people's everyday lives.

So here he is again, three years after “Ride”, keeping his musical coordinates unchanged. These are never dusty museum pieces but gleaming compositions, sung and played with rare mastery, backed by the two guitars of Bart Weinburg and Greg Harkins, the pedal steel of Rose Sinclair, the upright bass of Samuel “Huck” Johnson and, now and then, the dobro of Lloyd Maines.

In little more than half an hour, Hancock reconnects with Bob Wills' western swing tradition, distilling his entire repertoire and hurtling us back in time from the classic hillbilly boogie of the title track to the country blues of “Dirty House Blues” and the languid blues of “Dog Day Blues”. Then there's the classic country of “Killed Them Both” and “Small Bouquet Of Roses”, which joins love and death with sincere bluntness, leaving no room for embellishment. There's even a cover, of “Divorce Me C.O.D.”, a classic honky-tonk song written and first recorded in 1946 by a country giant, Merle Travis.

No grass grows under the boots of “The Train”, which stomp frantically through the instrumental swing of “Over Easy” and a marvelous, propulsive rockabilly number titled “Two String Boogie”. You get so caught up in the rhythm and freshness of the songs that you don't even notice the absence of a drummer. Is that all? Absolutely not, because there is still room for the ultra-classic country of “Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine” and the romantic, jazzy sway of “Love You Always”.

The neon on the cover flickers relentlessly over the country blues of “Wear Out Your Welcome”, while the word “vacancy” lights up when our man, amused, launches into the scat of “Slingin’ Rhythm Intro”, which closes the album, signaling that there is still room in this old motel on the American outskirts. Come on in, don't be afraid: there are still vacant rooms in which to fully appreciate the latest stop from this fantastic traditionalist. Wayne has once again joined forces with his longtime producer Lloyd Maines (Terry Allen, Uncle Tupelo, Dixie Chicks, Ray Wylie Hubbard), recording the album on the fly and never repeating a song. Perhaps that (too) is what gives the record its unstoppable energy. The motel may look old and dusty from the outside, but I assure you that once you step inside, it's a whole different story.

The only other man alive with more Hank Williams inside him than I have is Wayne 'The Train' Hancock. Very few artists can truly call themselves purists, but Wayne is one through and through.

(Hank Williams III)

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22/12/2016