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The band's ninth album continues the Austin-based ensemble's penchant for offbeat Southern minutia and melodious, after-hours juke joint revelry, but despite boasting production values that rival anything before it, Haymaker! feels less like the blow to the face that its title implies and more like a last quick rummage through the basement before the garage sale starts.
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The local quintet's 10th studio offering is polished and direct but still distinctly and eclectically Gourdian.
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On its ninth studio album, the group tells tales of true love and trucking--subjects all country artists are entitled to explore--but it also takes plenty of off-road detours.
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MojoHere they sound commanding and convincing as they do on-stage. [Mar 2009, p.111]
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The Gourds' ballads have always been witty and danceable, but on Haymaker! the lyrics have more emotional range than ever before.
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Haymaker! is a typically witty, rambunctious album that shuffles up the band members like a deck of cards.
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With this latest, and a dozen years in, the Gourds have released their finest record yet.
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UncutExultant opener 'Country Love' and Cajun rumbler 'Shreveport,' like most of Haymaker!, just sparkle. [Feb 2009, p.82]