Crooning Meets Country

Richard Hawley has a deep, robust voice that brings to mind the crooners of fifty or sixty years ago. His music is mature, lovely and calm. His soothing tones are complemented by unobtrusive background instruments, which serve not to draw attention but rather to augment his voice.

He begins Hollow Meadows with “I Still Want You,” a poetic, romantic piece. His lyrics, though not terribly impassioned, have an echo of bluesy desire as he croons, “Oh I / I still want you / until the sun grows cold.” This track, as well as several which follow it, maintain a steady, love-struck quality.

“Long Time Down” has an interesting country twist, however. Apart from the rest of the album, this track has some folksy strumming and Johnny Cash-like quality. Hawley’s voice is rich and sonorous as ever, but there is a twanging tint, which combined with back-up vocalists, produces an atypical sound in this song. This combination is not present in other tracks; the rest of the album flows into a mix of slow tracks that blend together.

“Nothing Like a Friend” is a bittersweet song. There is a methodical somberness present throughout the piece, in which the melody seems to slowly meander along some reflective musings. Then, Hawley becomes a bit remorseful in “Tuesday PM” as he repents, “Girl I’ve been a fool not to treat you like a good lover should.” This track, as with many other songs on Hollow Meadows, is romantic with a flare of melancholy. His lyrics are incredibly poetic, which makes sense when one considers that in “Welcome the Sun” he references “Blake’s poetry.” He concludes Hollow Meadows with a song that fits within the same parameters as the majority of the album. This track, “What Love Means,” offers a fairly predictable end to the album. Though the sound from track to track may be mostly unvarying, it is nonetheless a pleasant sound with congruous instrumental components and the soothing tones of Hawley’s voice, making Hollow Meadows an enjoyable album overall.