Review: Ray Wylie Hubbard: A.Enlightenment B.Endarkenment (Hint There Is No C.)

Apr 9, 2010 Album Reviews
Posted by Adam

Ray Wylie’s newest album has been out for a little while, released on January 12, of this year. However, I felt it deserved to not only be reviewed on this site but, to be the first review on here. Let me start off by saying Ray Wylie just simply exudes cool, as a matter of fact I believe fully that by listening to Ray Wylie your cool number goes up by at least 10%.

This album justifies that argument. From the first song, the title track,on through to the end of the record every song on here is good. The album has the feel of a blues record which is not new ground for Hubbard at all, but he brings his own feel to the genre. I was listening to this record for the first time with a buddy and the song “Pots and Pans” came on. In the tune, Hubbard repeats lines over and over again, my friend commented that he could not think of anyone else who can get away with that as much and still sound good. That’s the thing, Hubbard possesses one of the rare voices that can completely carry a song regardless of the lyrical content. The grittiness in his vocal delivery just sounds right.Having said that, it in no way means that the lyrical content is lacking on this release. As usual Hubbard captures the feeling of the common folk and wraps it around mean guitar licks to create a great album.

Highlights on the album for me start with the collaboration with Hayes Carll on a song entitled “Drunken Poet’s Dream”. Carll, a fellow Texas songwriter included this track on his last album, Trouble in Mind, so many of us were already familiar with the song, but of course Hubbard adds his own little twist to the song. He takes it and changes a few of the lyrics and makes the song infinitely more grimy, I love it. The next highlight in the album is my favorite track on here, “Down Home Country Blues” is exactly what the title says: a blues song about blues songs. It contains some great lyrics referencing John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf throughout the song and just basically making me smile all the way through it. A great song to turn up loud and listen to with the windows down on the highway. Other highlights include “Opium” which makes you feel like you’ve taken part in the drug yourself, the aforementioned “Pots and Pans”, and the stripped down gospel sound of “Whoop and Holler”.

Over all this album is another must own released by Mr. Hubbard. A great listen all the way through and one that just makes you feel good when you’re done. I am in the camp that he has just continued to get better as both a songwriter and a performer with every album and this one definitely stands up to any of his previous releases maybe being my favorite.

Go buy the album over at Ray Wylie’s Website or on itunes or however you get your music.

Tags: ray wylie hubbard, Reviews