Yodelady
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
A Texas native who cut his teeth in North Carolina but now calls New Hampshire home, the independent artist Todd Hearon pens 15 songs where he plays acoustic guitar and sings, and he’s got a lot of help for the well thought out sophomore album.
“Just Another Washed-Up Country Hero” opens the listen with Hearon’s expressive voice alongside Dan Beller-McKenna’s warm pedal steel and Mike Craig’s fluid drums, and “Nacogdoches” follows with Betsy Heron’s meticulous fiddle and Pete Iannitto’s well timed bass adding much beauty to the rural melodies.
Elsewhere, “Chinatown” welcomes Ben Alleman’s strategic accordion and Lindsay Garfield’s gorgeous harmony pipes to the sublime intimacy, while “Lily-In-Coal” features Scott Heron’s playful banjo that adds even more appeal to the album highlight.
Landing near the end, "The Brighter The Sun (The Blacker The Shade)” recruits Paul Wolf’s skilled washboard that complements the poetic storytelling of the folk climate, and “El Dorado” exits the formal album with a rich dreaminess that employs Andrew Blowen’s sweet harmony vocals and Tim Phillips’ effective glockenspiel for a thoughtful finish.
A diverse, rootsy effort that sounds relevant in any decade since the ‘60s, Hearon and company span folk, country, Americana and bluegrass across this very timeless body of work.
Travels well with: Ross Cooper- Lightning Heart; Darling West- Cosmos