John Hiatt
(New West)
A songwriter's songwriter has it tough. Once your work has been covered by guys like Dylan and Iggy, and scores more artists, many as luminous as those named here, the bar is raised with each new record. Hell, with each new song. And somehow John Hiatt keeps vaulting clear over the thing, like he has industrial-strength springs in his shoes.
Call it consistency, or just playing to type, on Same Old Man, his 18th album. It's stocked mostly with love songs-the self-deprecating, "I'm a shithead, you're a rose" kind that Hiatt does so well because, well, once upon a time, he was a pain in the ass. Nowadays, he's contrite and grateful, and genuinely so-it's in those simple and simply elegant lyrics like "I wanna thank you, baby/for lettin' me... love you again" and in the aching sincerity of his baritone twang.
It's this bare honesty, in the writing and the performance, that draws listeners and artists to Hiatt's work because too few songwriters can convey so much in their music. But there's also Hiatt's playful side, as heard on "Old Days" (a tour/war story song in which he reflects on his career and what he learned from guys like John Lee Hooker) and "Cherry Red," an effusive, jangly number where Hiatt shows another endearing aspect of him, which is the upshot of getting one's shit together and enjoying the spoils (namely a good woman).
Standout Tracks: "Old Days," "Cherry Red" RANDY HARWARD
