An inward muse.
After a series of releases culminating in what many considered to be his best to date “You Get It All” in 2021, Hayes Carll had gone quiet on the recording front. Frequently compared with Dylan and Prine, Carll’s songwriting stands out for his ability to communicate just how he sees the world without lecturing or cajoling but through wry observation and wit. He is back, the style has not changed but his emphasis has turned more inward. His distinctive, rather well worn, voice remains the perfect medium for his raw candour on this album of introspection. As Carll admits, “I’ve lived outside of myself for so long. Distractions, fear, anxiety, insecurity, and the complexity of being human in this world have so often pulled me away from being present or at peace”. He seeks peace of mind, forgiveness and a way to live in difficult times never forgetting that at the end of the day, ‘We’re Only Human’.
Carll sets out his stall with the title track. A lingering piano gives way to a voice that has played hundreds, probably thousands of venues, “Whether you give up /Or you give it your best/ It’s hard not to feel like/ You’re failing the test”. But as the arrangement builds he admits it is ok, “‘Cuz we’re only human/ That is all/ Just walkin’ the rope between fear and hope/ Knowing we’re gonna fall”.
With MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, Carll gently soothes the racing mind with ‘Stay Here Awhile’. A sympathetic mandolin and simple percussion add further peace. Forget the hectic life on the road, “I’m not in a hurry/ No reason to worry/ Nothin’ I gotta know” is the new mantra. That contentment returns in ‘High’ which refers to “Floating ‘tween this moment and the sky/ Exactly at the height that I like to fly” rather than anything more exotic. Airy acoustic guitar, solo horn and flute extend the sense of space to provide plenty of room to breathe.
Carll describes himself as “flawed as hell, judgmental, and critical of myself and those around me”, a blunt self-assessment that recurs throughout the record, perhaps none more starkly than in ‘What I Will Be’. Recognition of what has been dominates but what most fits the jaunty country arrangement is his acceptance that like it or not, this is unlikely to change, “Don’t bother trying to tell me how I live is wrong”.
If the dominant theme is introspection Carll’s still gives vent to his sardonic wit. Co-written with the Brothers John and TJ Osborne ‘Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)’ is a full-on swing at what passes for advancement in today’s society. The old-time fiddle sounds from a long-lost era set against, “We all make big money on bitcoin and cattle/ And it’s all for the progress of man”. Another co-write, this time with Aaron Raitiere brings out the essential goodness in most individuals. ‘Good People (Thank Me)’ is a series of vignettes depicting people falling out then realising the futility of their differences before agreeing, “So thank God / For good people/ Thank people / For being kind”. Each verse brings in more voices to add further good humour.
‘May I Never’ wraps up the album with a group of friends. Taking a verse each Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shovels & Rope, Darrell Scott, Nicole Atkins, and The Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi join Carll in a rousing send-off of gratitude. Despite all his inner doubts Carll gives thanks that, “It fills my heart to know I have a home” leaving “May I never forsake you again” as the album’s fitting sign-off.
Too much introspection can become a little monotonous but not when it is Hayes Carll whose blend of honesty, hope and humour gives us all something to think about.
