- Record Label: Ruth St.
- Release Date: Jun 23, 2009
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
It’s merely an excellent companion to Hood’s recent work with his regular band, with several songs--including the Springsteen-like 'Pollyanna' and the smoldering guitar workout 'Walking Around Sense'--ranking with his very best.
-
Hood is too inclined toward dark-side thoughts and the world too inclined toward dark-side realities for the newer songs to come off complacent.
-
With redneck-underground country, slightly detuned minor-key Southern rock, grungy Crazy Horse-indebted lopers and Stonesy rockers, there’s a little of everything Hood’s done so far, plus a few dashes of discovery.
-
Presumably it's not enough for Patterson Hood that he fronts one of the best rock bands in America--Murdering Oscar shows him stepping into an equally impressive solo career, but when the songs he's set aside for himself are this good, you can't blame the man for wanting to share.
-
This is, all on its own, a great record.
-
Murdering Oscar is all about connecting with the past, as Hood cuts loose with old and new bandmates, crafting tender paeans to his new wife and daughter, dusting down childhood memories against a backdrop of roughhouse blues, swamp-country and slow Southern soul.
-
Nothing here totally upends what we already know of Hood's talents via the Truckers, but it does serve as a supplementary capsule capturing how he ticks.
-
Although most of the songs on Patterson Hood's second solo album predate the existence of Drive-By Truckers, they'd easily fit on any of his band's records--same low-life characters, busted dreams, and black humor, rendered in solidly gothic Southern rock.
-
The album mixes the hard-nosed character studies he writes for Drive-By Truckers and more personal, guardedly hopeful songs. It juxtaposes his brasher, more cynical younger self with his current role as a husband and father.
-
The appearance of Hood's dad, legendary session man David, gives parts of Murdering Oscar--even within the Southern-rock storm and Hood's charcoal vocals--a sweet, possibly unprecedented sense of tranquility.
-
Under The RadarFeaturing contributions from most of his DBT's bandmates as well as his father, legendary Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood, highlights include 'Pollyanna,' 'She's A Little Randy,' and 'Walking Around Sense.'
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 5 out of 5
-
Mixed: 0 out of 5
-
Negative: 0 out of 5
-
MartinFJun 25, 2009