Greg Hawks Hits it Right on Time

Greg Hawks, I Think It's Time

If you're fed up with redneck country music that wraps itself in flag-covered bigotry, Greg Hawks is your antidote. As befits an artist who grew up country music, embraced punk as a teen, and then turned back to country, Hawks knows the difference between phonies and the real deal and isn't afraid to call bullshit when he sees it. I Think It's Time is his response to our world of opinion as news, infotainment, and acting on belief rather than fact.

Hawks hits us right up front with "So Lonely," when he sings: Take a look at you, take a look at me/Nothing really is what it appears to be/Living in the land of make-believe/In the golden age of vanity. And he's surely no fan of Donald Trump. His "King of Hate" might be the best oppositional song yet written. In five pointed verses and two choruses Hawks systematizes all the angst you've been feeling. A sample lyric: Set the house on fire and then walked away/And then he found somebody else to blame/Sent out his sycophants to fan the flames/Is there anybody there with a sense of shame. Nor does he let anyone hide behind being duped masks. In "From One Extreme to the Other," Hawks calls out the unobservant: Another fool is stirring up a crowd that's hanging on his every word/And the one who screams the loudest seems to be the only voice that's heard/Another dog and pony show served to copycats and mockingbirds/No time for conversations, only shocking revelations are preferred.

Don't be put off if you're taking a sojourn from political confrontation. Hawks also sings about the sort of things all songwriters dive into: relationships coming apart ("Pretending Not to Know") and regret ("Things I Did Not Say"), for example. He also leaves us with plenty of hope. "It's Going to Be Okay" is self-explanatory; "One Light" is akin to an ecumenical prayer.

You can tell in an instance that Hawks is a gifted lyricist, but the other great joy of this record is that it's a showcase of musical styles past and present. "So Lonely" is country-style vocals as filtered through jangly bell-like guitar and Southern-friend rock. "I Hope I Never Know" is amped up folk with a hooky melody, and "On Light" is amped down and the sort of song Tom Rush might sing. 'I Think It's Time" is country twang, "Pretending Not to Know" is a big prairie Western song evocative of early '60s cowboy music, "It's Going to Be Okay" is crooner-like, "Another Possibility" catches Johnny Cash's cadences and groove, and "Things I Did Not Say" is classic tonk.

Hawks has the whole package: a sharp pen, a booming voice, the ability to mix things up, good values, thoughtful production, and strong musicianship. This is truly one of the better recordings of 2018. ★★★★★

Rob Weir

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