Album Notes

UK's BEAT SURRENDER writes: Hail The Size are LA based Charles Ezell and Matt North, who enlisted a "small cast of local friends and musicians" and the vocal and piano talents of Maria McKee, the former lead singer of Lone Justice who duets on three tracks and added piano to seven of the albums ten listed tracks, all the songs are originals mixing clever lyrics, dark humour and some healthy cynicism - wrapping them up in Ezell's convincing vocal.

The album opens with the title track I Can't Die in LA a lament to the hopes and aspirations of LA's bright lights, "dreams don't come true, nothing happens to you", followed by the up-beat Crazy Girl - we all know one (or two) don't we? "you like drinking, you like sex, Jerry-Lee Lewis and suicide attempts".

Maria McKee add's her not inconsiderable talents to my favourite two tracks on the album - a melancholic ballad Drift Away and the "anthem for lovesick underdogs" a ballad called Right Now, "I need laughter most of all, crying I do on my own".
Booze, Pills and Her is a roots-rock romp with more than a hint of Hayes Carll and although my knowledge of the technicalities of American Football is somewhat lacking I know just where they are coming from in Hail Mary - a football ballad.

The ten tracks listed add up to a more than solid effort, there are a couple of hidden "bonus" tracks on the album the first Hot Mom is out of place to my mind and the album winds up with I'm Not Listening - but you really should, Steve Earle on Air America Radio agreed commenting "Now that's a good record."