Blues, soul and rock-infused road trip-ready release from Texas-born, California-based Halford and band.
Some albums just cry out: “put me on in the car, and turn the volume up!” Jeffrey Halford and the Healers’ latest album, Used Parts, his ninth, is one such release, perfectly suited to a road trip, ideally across Mississippi and Texas, but anywhere with an open road ahead. Opening track Bright Light features a cool riff, with Halford’s vocals striking the right note from the off, singing of being a “guitar man”, the troubadour who “Played in Natchez/ I played in Amsterdam/ Roaming around/ From town to town”, while reflecting on the realities of the music business “Looking out at the bright lights/ The buildings tall/ I can’t help thinking/ It’s a long way to fall.”
The gritty, earthy guitar solo has a Neil Young vibe, the whole album featuring fine guitar from Halford, with added steel guitar from Tom Heyman (Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet). Mississippi Flyer was written by Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, who asked Halford to record the song. Opening with slide guitar and a mid tempo shuffle groove, the track is an ode to the train of the title taking the singer to his girl “ Got myself a ticket on the Mississippi Flyer/ Settled in the cabin I’m a man for hire/ Lookin’ at the passengers, staring ’em on down/ Gotta get outta this one horse town/ Glad to see the back of that woman of mine/ Blow the train whistle right on time.”
Title track Used Parts is riff-driven, with an insistent kick drum propelling the track. In Halford’s own words, “A song about brutal self-reflection. Taking a hard look at who you are, owning your flaws, and rebuilding yourself piece by piece. Not perfection, but evolution.” And it features this memorable couplet: “Never drive a U-Haul/ Behind a hearse.” Corazon combines a down-tempo ballad feel with slide guitar and keys, soulful backing vocals, and Tex-Mex accordion, while High Mountain Soul has a funky soul groove, reminiscent of 70s southern funk band Wet Willie (yes, that really was their name). Living Worthwhile is another down-tempo number, with a powerful kick drum intro, the subject asking whether life still holds meaning for him, “I’m dizzy from the pills and the whiskey/ And a life that I left behind/ I can see it in the rearview mirror/ It’s getting close/ But it’s not my time.”
But the abiding sense from the album’s ten tracks is of a fine rocking set, exemplified by Chasing Down Forgiveness, again with soulful backing vocals, about seeking redemption, Halford singing “That southwest trip to Reno Is no journey for the doomed, And that house you left was empty Except the smell of your perfume.”
This is a fine collection of songs blending southern rock, soul and blues, united by Halford’s characterful vocals.
