Hawksley Workman: Meat
Reviewed by Daniel Wright
It’s an endless debate between music aficionados which is better: originality or diversity. While pop music often gets away with neither (for better or for worse); to make it with the snobs you’re going to need to be either “new-sounding” and/or eclectic. Ryan Corrigan, better known under the pseudonym Hawksley Workman, isn’t trying to re-invent rock and roll, but he sure knows how to use diverse sounds to float his tangible lyrics in a classic way.
In fact, diversity is a word that comes up a lot if you read about Hawksley Workman. It can be partly attributed to his multi-instrumentalism, off-the-cuff/stand alone albums and perhaps having virtually total creative control by doing his own production. Workman has also been known to produce for some notable Canadian artists such as Teagan & Sara and Great Big Sea. While the range of textures used offers us the odd gem, it makes for some flat moments and intolerable screeches. The result is a good album but with skippable moments.
The first of two new albums, Hawksley Workman is due to release a new album called MEAT on Jan. 19. But for those of you that can’t wait five days, 7/11 tracks are streamable from the Hawksley Workman official website or purchasable from iTunes or the band’s label Six Shooter Records.
If you check Wikipedia, Workman is defined as “glam rock or cabaret pop.” Make no mistake; MEAT is about as rock and roll as they get, foreshadowed by a cover of his scruffy face, saggy black toque and yellow oversized sunglasses plastered over a naked female outline.
But Workman isn’t finished with 2010 yet. According to his official website, “Milk,” the second album in the series, will be released via non-traditional digital strategy which will unleash singles from the album over a five-month period.” Milk and MEAT…not very kosher of him.
Along with other favourites from his previous 10 studio albums, Hawksley Workman will likely play songs from MEAT during his Hillside Inside performance on Feb. 6 in Guelph.
Notable Tracks: “song for sarah”, “you don’t just want to break me (you want to tear me apart)”, “well make time (even when there ain’t no time)”
Listeners May Also Enjoy: Citizen Cope – Clarence Green Wood Recordings, Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
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