After A 6-Year Absence Singer-Songwriter Returns With A Restored Musical Vision

With the first chords and vocal intro, the impression I got was: any Steve Earle fan is going to embrace this collection. Lead singer Kasey Anderson doesn’t imitate Steve; he is just in that genre solidly and has that genuine bite to his performance. Sometimes that authenticity must come from a voice that is not sugary sweet but has a brawny rhythmic tone. The voice is dark-hued and filled with expressiveness and the style is delivered with a soulful impulse.

The band is from Portland, OR and with these ten tracks Hawks and Doves’ “From a White Hotel,” caresses the ideals that Steve Earle didn’t exemplify vocally so much as personified. There are many lesser known vocalists and famous ones too — who have sung similar to Earle they just didn’t catch the wave the way Earle did.  

But these vocals follow their own path. Hawks and Doves walks close to the edge of melodic Americana pop the way the great Eddie Rice (Eddie and the Tide did back in 1983 and still performs today – the exceptional “This Could Be the One,” is the roots of Hawks and Doves’ opener “The Dangerous Ones,” even if they didn’t know it when they composed it.)

A critics and musicians favorite — Jimmie Mack (“On the Ice”) — a former lead singer with The Earl Slick Band and solo on three fine albums in the late 70’s-early 80’s. Hawks and Doves are cut from the same cloth as Mack as well — and that was rich music at the time.

It all has the same drive, melodic rich flavors, rousing guitars and thunderous drums that deliver satisfaction in truckloads. Not on two or three songs, virtually every track has something to recommend it. Eddie and the Tide placed songs in the film “The Lost Boys,” and one other soundtrack — so they weren’t also-rans. They had street credibility and Hawks and Doves sound like they bring the same cohesive vibrancy and muscle to their showcase.

Kasey Anderson displays a nice strong smoky vocal similar to Jimmie Mack and Eddie Rice. It’s not heavy like Tom Waits, Buddy Miller or Chuck E. Weiss – but, it has just enough of that vinegar that’s sweetened by tight arrangements and good material. Hawks and Doves are not as commercial or pop-oriented as Eddie and the Tide were and maybe not as intense as Jimmie Mack who could be quite dramatic in his performance as sampled in “On the Ice,” which is a dynamic track.

By the second tune “Chasing the Sky,” the performance was maintained but Hawks and Doves started to slip into Bon Jovi territory melodically. Uh-oh. The musicians are all playing excellently but I just felt their identity suffered a little here. The Eddie Rice-Jimmie Mack sound has a tinge of experience in their tone. Bon Jovi is entertainment. Hawks and Doves do indeed sound like they can do it better if they find their signature sound. And that comes with…

“Every Once in Awhile,” – it’s just what it is and it’s a tad deeper than the previous tunes. Far better — the lyric tells a dark tale – Kasey’s voice is not Eddie Rice, Steve Earle or Jimmie Mack or even Bon Jovi here. This is closer to the target. Nice subtle horns, I can actually hear the bass and it’s like that rumble you get on a Harley-Davidson. Ben Landsverk provides the necessary bass boom along with drummer Jesse Moffat. The horns are just there like an ornate frame – a soulful decoration without getting too up front and Bar-Kays (“Soul Finger”) or Arthur Conley (“Sweet Soul Music”) oriented. The guitar by Jordan Richter is laid back but that’s not a bad thing – the band shouldn’t sell strictly as a guitar-driven band. They seem to show some nice, balanced diversification. The lyrics as well — quite cool.

Funkier is “Get Low,” but what sets this apart from the black bands is the tinge of echo on Kasey’s voice that allows him to emulate The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ Kim Wilson to a respectful degree. This is a slinky, Delta, blues with quite the seductive bass crawl and heartbeat drum kick with an excellent arrangement on the brass and snaky sax. This is creativity applied to an old genre of music and it works, works — works. This will be on repeat soon.

Up next with piano and a shuffle and though I’m not too impressed with the title – “Geek Love,” – Kasey does assert himself with a good lyric and performance. This is more like a Bruce Springsteen ballad and at times Kasey sounds like he is trying to pronounce the words as Bruce would. I would like to criticize it – but, the work here is credible. It’s a good song. It’s a bit of a tearjerker and it has weight. The pensive, sad tune is a descriptive lyric about carnival types that lends a little hat tip to Tom Waits without the deep growl. The melancholy words “I’m not coming home,” is strong and the guitar conclusion with deep piano notes and a more Steve Earle intonation to the vocal is done well. This is a very likable song. This could be Hawks and Doves’ “On the Ice,” mentioned earlier. Similar in style and presentation and it’s another that will go on repeat despite its silly title.

Well, the band doesn’t let up – track six “Bulletproof Hearts (For Laura Jane)” is more rousing and I like the thunderous Moffat drums. Kasey is invigorated in his vocals and he never compromises his performance or becomes a parody of his heroes. This is a cool rocker with controlled Americana excitement. Richter’s guitars chime beautifully. There is lots of musician help on this collection but it doesn’t break down where these people play. The ever-reliable multi-instrumentalist-guitarist Eric Ambel is here (The Del-Lords, The Brandos and dozens of other notable artists).

The melancholy “Lithium Blues,” is a slow blues with special effects and sung with the same mysterious, swampy feeling once the domain of Don Nix (“Goin’ Down’”). This would have been a great cover for Eric’s band The Del-Lords. They occasionally scratched the surface of that Texas dark music similar to the tunes from the film “From Dusk til’ Dawn,” by The Blasters (“Dark Night”), Tito and Tarantula,” etc.

This album “From a White Hotel,” has been a few years in the making by a revived man with a restored creative vision, surrounded by the people who helped revive and restore him, as detailed in the press release. Without going into detail about anyone’s personal situation it’s enough to know the album has roots in lots of reality.

Vocalist Kasey Anderson even says he’s no Steve Earle – but, I don’t think he’s being fair to himself because at one time Steve Earle also was in a similar spiral. I think both men have lots in common – and they can and will rise above it all. They both have enormous talent and great vocals and it would be a shame to let it not help take a positive road.

Some people have nothing. They don’t paint, they don’t write, don’t read, and may not even have friends or a support group. They play games like bingo, solitaire, video games and dominoes. If you can play an instrument. Damn. Talk about a best friend. That’s something that won’t let you down if you’re alone. I don’t know these guys – and I’m enjoying their work thousands of miles away. That says something.

Track 8 leans a little toward the world of Tom Waits weird with “A Lover’s Waltz,” but the lyrics are heavily laced with images. OK, you can’t dance to this easily. It’s not a barn burner, but this is a song that shows a degree of artistry. Someone thought about this and they created something with lots of sensitivity. Kasey sings with his finest Steve Earle soul but these are not the kind of lyrics Earle would have written — so that’s where the originality becomes the centerpiece. This is intense – and I didn’t think this band would be capable of this kind of performance. It wasn’t evident in the earlier songs – so it came to a pleasant surprise. 

“Clothes off My Back,” is probably the jewel in the crown.

Quite an excellent piece – it has a winning sound, a good intriguing tale, excellent performances by the musicians even though it’s not a flashy piece of music it does have lots of room to jam. It’s a controlled arrangement and a sincere reading of the lyrics. Nice lead guitar work fires up the song and Kasey’s vocals could not be topped here by anyone. At times, spine-chilling. The lead guitar should have had more time and room to breathe – it has that Alan Parker tone that is as dramatic as the lead Parker took on Scott Walker’s remarkable cover of Tom Rush’s “No Regrets,” and that was just charged with great notes and one of the finest solos I ever heard on a single song.   

I have listened to this a few times because it is that kind of song – you keep coming back to it. I guess it just sticks in the mind – it did for me even after listening to all the other songs on the album – this one is the one I remember even when it’s not playing.

The final title track “From a White Hotel,” is one of the best. Kasey still sings with a hint of Steve Earle phrasing and accent – which is all commendable – Anderson sings slow and deliberate – with excellent pacing and support from all the musicians. This song too is head and shoulders above the earlier tracks because it has a modicum of intensity. This is Hawks and Doves. This is their domain. The lyrics are wounded and telling and it has the precision that simple good songwriters aspire to and never reach.

Is it hit material? No. Who cares? This is a song to have pride in. This is not mere composition this is a little piece of artwork these musicians can be proud of. This will not be easy to top any time soon. Is this song going to be set on replay? Damn right.

The 43-minute album was recorded by lead guitarist Jordan Richter and he did an admirable job. The cover art is a needlepoint created by Caitlin Cary. The art direction and design on the CD was by Kasey Anderson.

Kasey Anderson / Hawks and Doves Website: http://kaseyandersonmusic.com/about/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/leasdef

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCed9evRiRrURZPzNi8oUeiQ

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review/commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as a reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / August 2018