Paul Sanchez Makes Room in Heart Renovations

In “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” Paul Sanchez notes that he always spends more money than he makes when he stops in New York City. That was certainly the case last week at Hill Country. Paul accidentally booked the show during the final presidential debate, second-to-last Cubs playoff game, and some basketball game. So there were only seven of us stalwart souls there to soak in the music. Paul gave his check to the waitstaff to cover the tips they should’ve made.

That might give you a sense of the salt-of-the-earth type Paul is — not to mention that he knows this business like the back of his hand. Most of the night, Paul played requests from his longtime fans, digging deep into his catalog. Released on the twentieth anniversary of Paul’s first album, Heart Renovations serves as a sequel to Jet Black and Jealous.

On Monday, Matt Woods lamented that nobody’s yet been smart enough to write the book on how to survive. But if anyone’s qualified to draft it, that would be Paul Sanchez. Heart Renovations meanders through recollections of new love, lost love, Hurricane Katrina, and travels through the country. Clocking in at twenty songs, the album serves as a reminder that Paul still has lots to say. (Though the album might have benefited from some editing — a couple of songs sound rather off the cuff. But the latter half of the album truly picks up steam.) But at the end of the day, the most important lessons are to find peace with where you are now, and that usually all you need is a guitar and four chords.

Paul Sanchez — Official, Facebook, Purchase from Louisiana Music Factory, Amazon

Originally posted on Adobe & Teardrops