Recorded at Vision Sound Studios in Jacksonville, Florida, Hayshaker’s first album Black Holiday in Mexico City packs several genres into its seven tracks. These genres include straight-up rock, country, Americana, folk and alternative rock. Hailing from Georgia, Hayshaker is made up of four members: T.W. Lott on guitar, CC Rider on rhythm guitar and vocals, Laurie Rider on vocals, and Frank Sikes on drums. The album also includes a pedal steel guitar played by John LeMaster.
Laurie’s Song kicks off the album with a Johnny Cash intro. The song then moves into an upbeat
country/bluegrass/Americana sound that blends female/male vocal harmonies and country/rock guitars. When track two came along, it was as if a completely different band was playing. In the Snow brings the album into overdrive with a distorted rock guitar creating a rock/alternative sound. With its simple beat and easy-to-listen to guitar, In the Snow has the most mainstream sound out of the seven songs on the album. Scrap Work blends country and rock with a medium-tempo to create a mellow feel. This song contains some of the best guitar solos on the album, including two infectious rock guitar solos and one folk-country solo.
El Camino creates a surf-rock feel similar to Dick Dale & His Del-Tones with upbeat and lively drums, guitar, and vocals. The song then melts down into a slow groove and a dreamy rock guitar solo. Black Holiday starts off as a moody acoustic/ folk-rock song with a feel of impending doom. Building up to a faster part the song takes new edge before softly going back to the beginning sound. The song progresses into a psychedelic, dream sequence with a Pink- Floydish lead guitar. Black Holiday shows Hayshaker’s creative ability to blend different genres in only six minutes, making this song perhaps the best on the album. Mexico City brings back the pure country, bluegrass feel from Laurie’s Song with an impressive country/ roots guitar sound. With tragically, humorous lyrics, such as “I lost my heart, I lost my soul, to a bottle and a whore in Mexico” this song permeates with an ambiance of being down south. Dirtkick ends the album with an intro of steady drums and uncontrollable picking of one chord that moves along to a frenetically charged minor-sounding guitar and fast-paced drums that create a feel that you are on a devilish, fast-paced ride along the highway somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
Hayshaker’s Black Holiday in Mexico City is a creative and musically dynamic debut album. By blending several genres in just seven songs, Black Holiday in Mexico City stands out from others in that it takes the risk of creating music that echoes with several unique layers and distinct sounds.
Erin Bruno-MuzikReviews.com Contributor
May 8, 2008
