(2020) Duff Thompson - Haywire


Review:
Inside of New Orleans, Duff Thompson does not need introduced. As he puts his broad expansion plan into action with Haywire it is never bad to let potential listeners know what they are getting into. Thompson has been a collaborator of standouts including Esther Rose, Twain, and The Deslondes, among others. He rasps and rattles with the gravel throat of folk favorites like Hamilton Leithauser, Phosphorescent, or CAAMP, but props his gruff tones atop old timey arrangements — semi-hollows, vintage microphones, a standup bass, strings — accomplishing a sound that’s at once rough and evocative, affecting and modern, gritty and perfectly classic. In the title track of his new album Haywire, Thompson gently picks his guitar and sings “It’s not quite Heaven but you’ve come for the view / Spend all your time chasing things that don’t move.” He’s a master of understatement and the album is full of plain spoken but wry wit and subtle humor. Thompson is a cofounder of the local label Mashed Potato Records, along with Bill Howard and Sam Doores. “Haywire” is a collection of 10 folk tunes that Thompson says he’s recorded over the past three years in between work on Mashed Potato projects. Most tracks have spare arrangements, highlighting his slightly rasping vocals and melodic guitar work. There are slower, romantic songs, such as “Sweet Darlin’,” and more lamenting tracks, such as “Rock and Roll…” The album picks up with “Wild Eyes” and the honky-tonkish “The Long Haul,” where Thompson seems tempted to let loose. “Feel What You Want,” is a bit more playful. But it’s on more even-keeled tunes like “Sleight of Hand” and “Haywire” where he finds his voice as a storyteller over occasionally jangling guitar.





Tracklist:
01-Sleight of Hand
02-You're Pretty Good
03-Haywire
04-Wild Eyes
05-Rock and Roll...
06-Feel What You Want
07-Sweet Darlin'
08-Footloose and Fancy Free
09-The Other Side
10-The Long Haul


Media Report:
Genre: americana, indie-folk
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits