Timbreland Rec.
Dan Haywood's New Hawks -EP- (UK,2007)****
Dan Haywood, (guitar,vocals) formerly of alternative-rockers The Puma-Sutras, now plays with his New Hawks band (for the album with Billy Myall on drums; Dan Therese C Standish, on cello, viola and violin; Jeff Barnes on bongos; Michael Kenney, on fiddle; Gary 'GT' Thistlethwaite on pedal steel and Richard Turner on guitar). It is as if they invented their own sort of post-Americana style (or country-ish flavoured) touch as a mountain-or island folk style designed for certain specific Scottish Islands (Lochmaddy). It is because the slide guitar sounds Americana/Hawaiian and the fiddle recalls mountain folk bars improvisations. The acoustic guitar is heavily played, the singing and lyrics are well pronounced, and the music is thoughtfully arranged. All its song movements are comming almost straight forward towards you, even when it is all just describing situations. The congas with drums make the acoustic fundament more pronounced, while the contrasting details are still heavy. A promising, acoustically rocking, EP.
