Although recorded in a professional studio (Sonido del Norte, Albuquerque), the eight diverse songs on the Hawk Is Listenin’ LP breathe the atmosphere of a cabin in the woods. Its creator, New Mexico singer-songwriter AJ Woods (it is his vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, bass and harmonica that you hear), knows like no other how to evoke a feeling of intimacy and connection with nature while guiding the listener through a surreal landscape of the Southwest’s history and heartache. The record showcases the different dimensions of cosmic folk in general and the musician’s talents in particular; from the grace of the imaginative standout title track (almost seven minutes long) and the emotions in Wind on a Wildfire, to the howls of wild animals in Gila and the noise in Knife’s Edge, it all fits together very well. Sir Douglas Quintet’s Jimmy Stallings guests on a cover of his own Gallup, NM. Extraordinary.
Hawk Is Listenin’, produced and recorded by Jeremy Barnes, is out now digitally and on CD through Perpetual Doom / Stone Poem. Also featuring Jeremy Barnes, Heather Trost, Jimmy Stallings, Greg Butera and Kirin Vicenti on select tracks.
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