Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)

by Patterson Hood

Overview

Patterson Hood, the leader of the Drive-By Truckers, recorded his first solo album in 2001 as a series of rough four-track demos, and when Killers and Stars finally received an official release in 2004, it sounded like a set of songs too eccentric and too personal to fit in with the Truckers' hard-driving approach, even though the quality of the material was certainly consistent with what he'd created with the group. In many respects, Hood's second solo set, 2009's Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs), is also dominated by songs a little too odd and close to the vest to make it onto a DBT album, but if Killers and Stars sounded heartfelt but tentative, Murdering Oscar is confident and full-bodied, and not just because most of these songs include a full band rather than just Hood and his guitar. With each album, the Drive-By Truckers have shown a willingness to reach for deeper themes, and Murdering Oscar consistently cuts closer to the bone than Killers and Stars; the post-9/11 malaise of "Pride of the Yankees," the wasted but honest romantic plea of "Back of a Bible," and the title tune's tale of a morally elastic hitman are all trickier, more complex, and more satisfying than anything on Hood's solo debut, and even the relatively lightweight numbers like "Walking Around Sense" (addressed to the daughter of a seriously dysfunctional rock star) and "Foolish Young Bastard" show an impressive amount of weight and muscle. Hood may not have a silky-smooth voice, but he's learned to work wonders with the smoky texture of his instrument, and Hood has rarely been in better form as a singer than he is on this album, conjuring a beautifully rough-hewn blue-eyed soul. And with a band featuring DBT drummer Brad Morgan, Scott Danbom and Will Johnson from Centro-Matic, and Patterson's father, David Hood (longtime bassist with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section), and sympathetic production assistance from David Barbe, Murdering Oscar has a sound that's not entirely removed from the Drive-By Truckers, but possesses a personality and feel that sets it apart and well suits this set of dark but compassionate character studies. Presumably it's not enough for Patterson Hood that he fronts one of the best rock bands in America -- Murdering Oscar shows him stepping into an equally impressive solo career, but when the songs he's set aside for himself are this good, you can't blame the man for wanting to share. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/2009
Label:	Thirty Tigers / Ruth St. Records
UPC:	0626570600077

Tracks

1. Murdering Oscar
2. Pollyanna
3. Pride of the Yankees
4. I Understand Now
5. Screwtopia
6. Granddaddy
7. Belvedere
8. The Range War
9. She's a Little Randy [from Randy and the Mob]
10. Foolish Young Bastard
11. Heavy and Hanging
12. Walking Around Sense
13. Back of a Bible

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Patterson Hood   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar,Piano
Scott Danbom   Vocals,Fiddle,Piano
David Hood   Bass
John Neff   Pedal Steel
David Barbe   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Wurlitzer
Brad Morgan   Drums
Will Johnson   Guitar,Vocals
Frank MacDonnell   Guitar
Don Chambers   Banjo
Kevin Lane   Vocals (Background)
Mike Cooley   Guitar
Shonna Tucker   Bass

Technical Credits

Scott Danbom   Harmony
David Barbe   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Patterson Hood   Liner Notes,Producer,Composer
Wendy VanPelt   Photography
Sean Fine   Photography
Lilla Hood   Art Direction
Wes Freed   Artwork
Jennifer Bryant   Web Design
Glenn Schick   Mastering
Mike Cooley   Composer
Todd Rundgren   Composer
Will Johnson   Harmony