Phosphorescent, To Willie
Featured Album
An affectionate, reverent testimonial that would do the Red-Headed Stranger proud
Covers albums are a dicey proposition, but Matthew Houck's album-length tribute to Willie Nelson is an affectionate and accomplished testimonial. Rather than skim the cream off the top, Houck has searched far and wide through Nelson's back catalogue, from the relatively polite singer-songwriter records of the 1960s to the languorous elder-statesmanship of the late 20th century.
That's not to say Houck, along with a rotating cast of like-minded musicians, doesn't bring his own aesthetic to the table. Even after a fistful of doobies, Nelson has never sounded as laid back as Houck and co. do here. His rustic croak, which evokes a less strangulated Will Oldham, makes it sound as if he's just crawled out of bed and can't wait to get back. Even on "Pick Up the Tempo," Houck drags his feet like a drunk waltzing under the lights at some roadside bar.
To Willie doesn't have the sawdust-strewn authenticity of Nelson's outlaw ballads, but Houck does sound like he's spent plenty of late nights spinning vintage Nelson LPs, extracting each nuance and shade. The gospel harmonies of "Can I Sleep in Your Arms," a rewrite of Hank Cochran's "Red River Valley," seem to float out of the speakers like wisps of smoke, and "The Last Thing I Needed (First Thing This Morning)" adds delicate electric piano and a warped steel guitar solo that mingles roadhouse and funhouse in equal measure. The Red-Headed Stranger would be proud.
