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If you’re looking for that quintessential Texas sound these days, look no further than Wayne “The Train” Hancock. With a voice that’s as smooth as an ice cold Shiner Bock on a Texas summer day, Hancock can boogie and swing with the best of them. Boogieing and swinging, of course, are the focal points of his latest his first new album in over three years, Slingin’ Rhythm.
With his penchant for bringing together country, hillbilly, jazz and western swing, Hancock may strike many as a throwback. This is the kind of music that can be heard at places like the Broken Spoke and the Continental Club in Austin, Texas, where he has long been a vital force in the local scene. But anyone who has spent time in Austin can tell you it’s changing fast, so maybe the only reason why Hancock’s sound is a throwback stems from folks who seem to be forgetting what Texas music really sounds like.
At this best, Hancock embodies a musical realm somewhere between Bob Wells and Hank Williams, with a tighter-than-hell band to back him up. The twelve tracks on Slingin’ Ryhthym reinforce the idea of Hancock as the classic Texas troubadour. The title track is loaded with jazzy guitar playing that would make Willie Nelson smile as Hancock sings about life on the road and calls out to his band to keep doing exactly what the title suggests. “Dirty House Blues” is a playful honky tonk blues tune, while “Killed Them Both” is an almost light-hearted tale of committing a double murder after catching a lover in the sack with another man. “Wear Out Your Welcome” keeps the mood dark with heartbroken yearning but also sees some of the album’s finest guitar soloing. “Two String Boogie” takes things in a rockabilly direction while the instrumental number “Over Easy” finds the band flexing their skills as a unit. “Small Bouquet of Roses” is sad song in the vein of Ernest Tubb while Hancock sings almost jubilantly in “Divorce Me C.O.D”, an upbeat groover aimed at pulling the people to the dancefloor.
There is little room for much beyond heartbreak in the songs on Slingin’ Rhythm, yet the well-oiled band and loose, freewheeling vibe of the recordings make each song ripe for dancing. At his best, like on “Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine”, Hancock proves himself to be an expert at channeling the spirit and sound of Hank Williams. Traditional country music is getting more attention these days, but on Slingin’ Rhythm, Wayne “The Train” Hancock reminds us that he’s always been sticking to the classic sounds. Few artists out there today can take you this close to Texas without actually going there in person, and damn does that rhythm swing!
Photo by Victor Barajas
