True bluesy, country takes

In a world flooded with pitch-correction technology, intentional dissonance and probably more dropped beats than necessary, there’s something almost jarring about hearing a traditional blues bass line or honky-tonk solo delivered without a shred of irony. But that’s what Texas-based traditionalist Wayne “The Train” Hancock serves up on his new release Slingin’ Rhythm just like he’s done throughout his decades-long career.

While mainstream fans might not know his name or work, Hancock has been trucking along in the biz for so long that he’s now on his seventh LP without any signs of slowing down. His label Bloodshot Records says he’s on the road 200 days a year—and you can tell. He’s as much of an expert guitar player as he is world-weary—and it all provides inspiration, as his newest effort tells Hancock’s stories and experiences as a professional guitar player in a feel-good rockabilly sound, no matter how aching or depressed the stories might be.

Hancock opens up with an autobiographical title track about his life as a traveling troubadour, and lets the listener hear how his guitar is the star of the show. There’s plenty of picking and big, playful solos that show off Hancock’s fast fingers.

He takes a dark turn in “I Killed Them Both,” which is almost jarring in its descriptive honesty but anchored in honky-tonk goodness. It’s an example of the singer as narrator, a role that Hancock plays well with unassuming strength and consistency. His songs have a swing and rhythm that hearkens back to the glory days of the Opry, and his playing shines when he lets loose in solos.

The likes of “Two String Boogie” takes listeners back to a time or place they may never have been, and shows Hancock embracing his natural strengths as a country player with a bit of tongue and cheek irony as he sings about popping strings—but his bluesy riffing that makes up the bulk of the song is no joke. For as much as Hancock downplays the life a touring musician as hectic or strange, his dedication is obvious.

“Over Easy” is a refreshing instrumental that hovers in the same tempo range as many of the other tracks–upbeat, but not speedy; full of movement, but structured. Like the other tracks on the album, it showcases the talent of his players. Hancock follows it up with “Small Bouquet of Roses,” which looks back longingly at lost love in his trademark rhymed and descriptive verses.

While such takes on relationships-gone-wrong are often standard fare in this genre, Hancock loads his up with the perspective of a lonesome soul. He’s at his best here with “Dog Day Blues,” which features a traditional blues bass line and a whole lotta sorrow. It’s the kind of song that a listener might play for a friend who is tired of the overproduced and over-polished acts, or thinks that “country” is what you hear on the radio.

The album ends with borderline hopefulness on “Thy Burdens Our Greater Mine,” with our narrator traveling alone and broke but keeping perspective that our lives are not all as difficult as we might think, with a nod to the gospel and religious roots of his genre in the title. Then, in a little bonus, the last 30 seconds of the album show Hancock sketching out the idea for his title track, and we’re left with the image of the artist in his element.

Wayne Hancock’s latest might not turn rock fans into rockabilly believers, but anyone with guitar sense ought to be impressed. For those who listen deeper, they’ll find stories from a man who has put his heart and soul into making music and has the scars to show for it.