Over on Rolling Stone Country, much underrated Americana troubadour Slaid Cleaves has been talking about his upcoming new album Ghost on the Car Radio and previewing the first song from it Drunken Barber’s Hand. It’s a co-write with frequent collaborator Rod Picott who, as is often the case, has released his own version of the tune. Drunken Barber’s Hand sees Cleaves revisiting the more political bent he took on his last LP, 2013’s Still Fighting the War. With its cutting chorus – “This world’s been shaved by a drunken barber’s hand” – and its allusion to W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” the shuffling, haunting track suggests that the world may not be spinning the way it should.
You can hear the song here , and read more about the album which is due in June, and Slaid’s philosophy on music making. He has a UK tour coming up in the Autumn – plenty of time to get familiar with the new songs.
