Wesley Hanna returns with an album of distinguished country tunes.
Wesley Hanna is based in Fort Worth, Texas. He previously worked in the oil fields and, also as a cowboy, preferring the Stetson to the hard hat, he has produced a gem of a country album. There is a lot to enjoy as Hanna delivers ten self-penned originals and one written by the late Charlie Fitzgerald Robison, who recorded the murder ballad also known as ‘Magnolia’ on his 2004 album, “Good Times”. Hanna’s version is faithful to the original, a lilting waltz, giving a fine tribute to Robison, who inspired Hanna in his musical endeavours.
Country ghosts and names are lurking in every corner of the record; however, the music sounds fresh and contemporary at the same time. The writing is slick and relevant, and at times a bundle of fun. The title track may give you an Eric Church vibe and have you reaching for the sleeve notes to confirm whether Church had a hand in it. Is it a dusty cut from his “Carolina” album? No, it is a marvellous original mourning the loss of the countryside around Hanna’s home town of Magnolia. Towns grow at a tremendous rate as people from large urban conurbations seek a simpler, more rural life. Hanna sings “These people they moved out here / To get out of the city / Find a slower pace of living / But they brought the city with them / Now look around / Where’s the country gone to now”—the birth of commuting in a nutshell.
‘Thomas B. O’Hara’ is where Hanna has some fun, and it is a song full of wit and a little wisdom. All about a trip back to visit the land of his ancestors, beautiful Ireland. Full of mystery, rolling fields of green, ancient castles and history. The song takes our tourist as far as the local pub and stays there, drinking the black ale for which the country is famous. Hanna’s friend, Jake Morris, wrote the barroom chant that forms a riotous end to the track with some great fiddle work from Cody Braun. You can always flick through the travel brochure to check out what you have missed before getting the flight back over the pond.
It’s not all fun and stout drinking, though. ‘Harvey’s Landfall’ is a heartfelt tune about losing his stepdad the day Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and Louisiana, causing catastrophic flooding. The lyrics focus on how hard it is to pick yourself up after a loss and even get out of bed in the morning. Loud music and cold water seemed to help.
‘Life in Three Quarter Time’ is a charming waltz duet featuring fellow Texas songwriter Courtney Patton. The lyrics tell the tale of an estranged couple and how memories waltz around their minds as they both try to pick up the pieces of their lives. Cleverly written and with the hook “It’s hard to move on in a world so unkind.”
No doubt Hanna is a talented artist with a voice that could easily glide alongside George Strait, Clint Black and Garth Brooks. His chosen musicians do a fine job with some standout fiddle, banjo and exquisite pedal steel. He has put together a fine collection of songs which ebbs and flows fluently from track to track, leaving you wanting just a little more. “Magnolia” proves that quality country music is alive and kicking, especially in Fort Worth, Texas.
