The Pine Hill Haints - The Evening Star

I picked up this CD compilation at the PHH's terrific gig at the Huntridge Tavern a couple of nights ago - I think this is the only release of theirs that I didn't already have (other than some of the wild offshoots of Jamie's that he had on hand - far more than I could collect in one night!). This is a selection of oddities that Jamie wrote or arranged that didn't manage to appear on any album so he pulled them all together for this piece of plastic.

Hailing from Alabama, Jamie's "Ghost Music" has a big Southern influence - particularly, at least to my ears, Louisiana Zydeco music - blended with folk, country, bluegrass, blues and much more until you have the Haints' unique sound.

With its old-time melodies and bouncy fiddle work, "Tennessee River Rambler" could easily be mistaken for an old school traditional number, and this sound continues for "They Tried To Kill My Momma's Son" where Jamie shows off some yodelin' skills. "I Like the Ditch" is maybe a laid-back rockabilly-ish tune, "Darktime Came to the Hills" is again kind of a trad Americana number, "The Streets of Laredo" actually is a trad song arranged by Jamie in a semi-waltz style, "Why Should I Worry" has a bit of country to it and "I See Red (Kill-Kill-Kill)" is an upbeat bluegrass-esque tale of murder.

Chuggin' like a locomotive and driven by drum'n'washboard with group chants, "Black Casket" is fast-paced and fun and this speed continues in "Satchel and Babe", with more hip melodic intricacies. Jamie brings back the fiddle and Katie is on the mandolin for their take on the traditional "Wayfaring Stranger", Katie's saw adds a ghostly wail to the melancholy "Riding the Long Southern Train Blues" that gathers steam as is moves on down the rails until it comes to a stop in a cloud of feedback'n'dust, followed by another trad number, "The Parting Glass" that has some nice accordion work and that blends into the similar sounding "Wild Bill Jones" to conclude the collection.

I really love the Haints style of old-country/Americana/whatever-the-heck and have dug all of the releases that I have heard. I highly recommend them to anyone who has any interest in this style of music - high quality and damn nice peeps too!