John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns

Artist: John Hiatt

Album: Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns

Label: New West

Release date: 2nd August 2011

Rating: 4.5 / 5

    The first tune pulled me in at the first chord- an angry tune.  Fed up, on edge, ready to snap....the way we've all felt, John Hiatt captures perfectly.  "All the Way Under" is a really jumping cut that has a zippy zydeco feel at times, accompanied by snappy steel-strung guitars and growling vocals.  The musicianship on all the tracks is amazingly strong (especially Russ Pahl on pedal steel) and really helps to make this record a model of pure enjoyment.  Hiatt's songwriting capability keeps on improving and even with tunes like "When New York had her Heart Broke" (which pays homage to 9/11 ten years later) they seem heartfelt and never kitschy.  The production quality on this record is supreme, conducted by Kevin Shirley who has worked with such powerhouses like Aerosmith and the Black Crowes.  This record is a great trip through America and as I listen and drive, I can feel the warmth it had intended to create