[rating=9.00]
You have to give Curtis McMurtry credit. As a musical denizen of Austin, Texas, he could have continued the standard approach that complies well with the tack taken by the typical singer/songwriter. To his credit, however, he opts to branch out into other realms, specifically a jazz/chamber hybrid that brings him more into a traditional Americana mode. On The Hornet’s Nest, McMurtry integrates cello, upright bass, banjo and trumpet, he creates a nocturnal ambiance that’s supple, sublime and often at odds with today’s modern sensibilities
Happily, though, McMurtry doesn’t entirely rely on form and format. The gentle sway of low cast entries like “Smooth As Thorns,” “Loves Me More” and “Bayonet” are applied with a style that effectively lures the listener into a quiet state of meditative bliss. To some, the songs might come across as a bit laid back — the frail “Hard Blue Stones” and the laconic “Rebecca” being two prime examples — but the plucky “Smooth As Thorns” and “Can’t Be Better” add a hint of an upturned feel to the album overall. That said, it’s McMurtry’s inherent charm that caresses these songs and adds to their inherent charm.
If McMurtry’s music seems somewhat out of time due to its vintage feel, it also a serves as a reminder of the finesse that comes with any retro references. Granted, in the majority of these cases, the unhurried feel demands a closer listen and an open ear. There is a certain mood and melancholy that comes through in certain songs, bringing back memories of tattered troubadours sharing their tales of troubles and woe. “Will I hate the sound of my own heartbeat?” he asks on “If I Leave,” suggesting more than a hint of self-pity. Yet at the same time, these songs effectively work as vampish vignettes that any torch singer would find easily accommodating. A hornet’s indeed, but happily without the sting.
