A native of the Lone Star State, Micah P. Hinson is a righteous guitar slinger, pulling tales of empty promises and waylaid hearts from his holsters. Hitting the dusty Americana trail, he brings elements of gospel, classical music and all the emotion of an old soul man to this magnificent, politically-charged record. What's so impressive, however, is the carefully sustained sense of restraint. Hinson is a songwriter who revels in the small details and the carefully crafted lyric, who offers miniature epiphanies rather than attention-seeking bombast.
There is an unwavering spirit of ambition here, be it the incongruous patchwork of sound on 'Watchers, Tell Us Of The Night' – which suggests Grizzly Bear – or, the final distortion-wracked blizzard of 'The Returning'. Initially, however, we proceed at an almost funereal pace, with the instrumental 'A Call To Arms' shuffling mournfully.
'Take Off That Dress For Me' finds Hinson detached, an emotionally-deadened voyeur. “The world spins round / And I don't care anymore”, he wearily declares, as guitar provides stark accompaniment. Soon, though, something begins to stir, a babble of voices and screech of guitar signalling the wild cacophony of '2's and 3's'.
Throughout, our broken-hearted cowboy articulates the hurt of the lovelorn in a mahogany-rich, Roy Orbison-in-his-country moments voice. Check out the gorgeous lament of 'The Letter At Twin Wrecks'. However, it's 'The Cross That Stole This Heart Away' that really puts the jam in this doughnut. Indeed, such lavishly orchestrated and captivating alt-folk hasn't been heard round these parts since Lambchop's seminal Nixon and, damn, is this reprise welcomed.