Scott Hawley
Partial
© 2004 Scott Hawley / SeigeWorks Publications, ASCAP. (825790011629)
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Emotional, groovy, intelligent acoustic tunes about life in the modern world.
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Scott Hawley's Austin-made debut EP, "Partial," is an intriguing and catchy album. The CD is best described as a close and personal look at Hawley's life thus far. It's intriguing that it can be so moving, from the stirring rhythms of the quirky alt-rock "Quiver" to the building force of the neo-folk anthem "Fumble." It's catchy in that you'll pause to take in the emotion of the quiet "How Good You've Been," and find yourself whistling the theme to "Nothing's Wrong" well after you've finished listening to the CD. And then there's the other track, "Different Today," which just kicks ass, via some powerful acoustic guitar technique borrowed from the late Michael Hedges.
Singer-songwriter Hawley has taken influences from folk, rock, R&B
(as on "Nothing's Wrong"), and acoustic fingerstyle, and with the
help of producer Stephen Doster (who has worked with Lyle Lovett,
Dr. John and Double Trouble, and others), has delivered five careful
vignettes in the rootsy vein Austin is known for. The songs deal
with the modern American struggles for meaning and purpose, love
and acceptance, truth and transcendence. Hawley's emphasis on hooky
melodies makes the songs almost instantly entertaining, but the
lyrical depth may surprise you, for the lyrics are the real reasons
that people tune in to Scott Hawley's songs. (The experience of
"Wait a minute, did he just say what I think he said?" may happen
more than once.)
Although the songs themselves are the stars on this album, vocal
and instrumental parts contributed by Hawley, Doster and the other
musicians shine in their own rights. Doster (who was Nanci Griffith's
guitarist for years) pulls off some killer solos and some gut-twisting
backing parts, whereas Hawley's voice is fluid, once sultry and
later strident. The beautiful cello lines played by Brian Standefer
(cellist for Patty Griffin) and the intricate drumming of Kevin
Gathright help to accent the artistic spirit of the songs. Each
song is quite different from the rest, yet they form a cohesive
whole, thanks to Hawley's unique perspective as a writer and Doster's
experience as a producer.
It's noteworthy that this album would come off so well despite the
demands of Hawley's (rather different) day job, in which he does
research in theoretical physics as a post-doctoral fellow at the
University of Texas at Austin. Says Hawley, "The physics helps
keep me off the streets, but music is a field where I can really
put my heart into the work." A songwriter who connects the heart
and mind? Press "play" to experience for yourself.
-- Joel O'Brien
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I received my CD in a very timely manner
author: JustinGreat CD, Great quality, Great time, Thanks