The Eric Hisaw Band
Another Great Dream of You
www.river-bottom.com/hisaw.html
Another Great Dream of You
kicks off with "Out on the Highway"'s sparkley, twang-y guitar riff-half Monkees, half Lucinda Williams-and away we go, down the highway indeed, cruising in an old rusty truck. The opening song is short (clocking in at 2:38) but it tells a long, age-old story of road trip love. Or maybe that of an ex-lover who jumps in her car and takes
***image1***
off, and you know you'll never see her again. The song, despite the melancholy of the subject matter, is oddly joyful; buoyed by a quick tempo, sprightly pedal steel fills and Hisaw's upbeat melody, it manages to sum up those feelings of sadness and hopefulness-she's out on the highway now, what can ya do?
The second song on the five-song disc ain't quite so upbeat, however. "Another Great Dream of You" is a boot-scootin' tear-jerker, gee-tar strums and the pedal steel slowing down, sweeping like a broom. Hisaw's vocals are more noticeable here, and while his lyrics are sharp and evocative- "champagne toast/glossed a smile on your lips/and I told myself/it gets no better than this"-one starts to notice Hisaw's got a penchant for relying too much on a throaty, gruff affect that isn't quite convincing.
But it's a minor flaw. Overall, the disc is a winner, hitting all the country themes-girls, the road, trains-but remaining fresh, due especially to Larry Tracey's needle-sharp pedal steel work and Hisaw's way with words ("Thing About Trains" is another standout). Considering Santa Fe's penchant for updated yee-haw, Hisaw's show this week should be a hit too.
The Eric Hisaw Band will play at 9 pm Friday, March 24 at the Mine Shaft Tavern. No cover.
