Lovesick, Broke, and Drunk: New Hank III

I haven’t seen any mention around the blogosphere (at least the places I frequent), but I believe you good people need to know that Hank III’s latest album dropped yesterday.

Damn Right, Rebel Proud doesn’t necessarily break any new ground: III is still lovesick, broke, and driftin’, but to that you can add pissed off and drunk. In the opening track, “The Grand Ole Opry (Ain’t So Grand)”, Hank III focuses his ire at the country music establishment that refuses to reinstate his grandfather to the Grand Ole Opry. A few songs later he’s “Stoned and Alone,” drowning his sorrow in a few shots of Jack.

The album is full of the twang of “real country” that III has come to embody. After hearing Straight to Hell last year, I went back and listened to Hank’s older albums. He’s always been true to his vision of country music; nowhere are you going to find the Nashville-friendly pop country he rails against. On the contrary, with each successive release, III has further melded the seeming diverse genres of country and punk into his own hellbilly sound. Damn Right, Rebel Proud doesn’t pack the bludgeon of Assjack, Hank III’s hardcore band, but it comes as close as you can get with a fiddle and steel guitar.

If you haven’t before listened to Hank III, I cannot strongly enough encourage you to do so. And if you haven’t had the chance yet to see him perform live, well, you need to. It’s an unforgettable experience.

The Grand Ole Opry (Ain’t So Grand).mp3

Labels: alt.country, country music, new stuff

posted by aikin @ 9:23 PM