Hayes Carll
Trouble in Mind

THE REVIEW

Hayes Carll is a young Texan singer-songwriter.

Like many musicians from his land, Carll grew up on bread, country, and Bob Dylan, he started playing the guitar around the age of fifteen, and felt the strong influence of an author like Townes Van Zandt.

His style is reminiscent of The Band's rural rock, but with the addition of a sarcastic and disenchanted spirit, a result of the enormous transformation that has occurred over the last forty years. An excellent live entertainer, he is clearly used to interacting with the audience and letting people enjoy and revel on their own.

His latest album, "Trouble In Mind", the "mature" one, saw him approach a large audience, placing sixtieth in the 2008 album ranking of the popular site The Village Voice.

Noteworthy is the song "She Left Me For Jesus", where the author explains that his woman left him, I suppose to become a nun:

"She left me for Jesus and that just ain't fair / she says that he's perfect how could I compare / She says I should find him and I'll know peace at last / If I ever find Jesus I'm kickin his ass / She showed me a picture all I could do was stare / at that freak in his sandals with his long pretty hair / They must think I'm stupid or I don't have a clue / I'll bet he's a commie or even worse yet a Jew". :-)

Beautiful, truly beautiful "It's A Shame", of which Kris Kristofferson or Roger McGuinn would have been proud.

There's also a good cover of Tom Waits' "I Don't Wanna Grow Up".

It's a great album by one of the best songwriters of the new generation. If you can afford it, in these times, go out and buy it.

Instead of the samples, I’m adding two links, so you can get a clearer idea.

"She Left Me For Jesus"

"It's A Shame"