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Greg Hawks & the Tremblers: Fool's Paradise |
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 Track List 1. Fool's
Parade To hear sound clips go here
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(Yep Roc) Chapel Hill, North Carolina seems as
fertile a breeding spot for Americana country music these past several years,
as anywhere in Texas. This particular region has given us the likes of such
notables as The Backsliders, Two Dollar Pistols and Tift Merritt. Add to this
list Greg Hawks & the Tremblers. And look out, here comes a bit more of that
Bakersfield sound that many of the artists from this region seem to be highly
influenced by.
Part of reason for the Bakersfield influence in
some of The Tremblers music, could be that Greg played for a time as a member
of the Two Dollar Pistols, who's sound is heavily influenced by Bakersfield.
Though the Bakersfield sound can be heard in several of the Tremblers' songs,
it's certainly not the only one. They draw on several, including Tex-Mex and
folk, and incorporate them into their music, resulting in a sound that ranges
from hardcore traditional country, to a somewhat more organic (though still
firmly rooted in country) Americana style. The rest of the Tremblers are made
up of ex-Backslider Danny Kurtz (Greg writes the songs, while Danny arranges
them), Nate Stafla on drums and Mike Krauss on lead guitar.
Fool's Paradise kicks off with the
Bakersfield influenced country/rocking title track. The influence is followed
through on the stone country, shuffling barroom weepers "Since You've Been
Gone," and "Brand New Heartache." "Where I'm Not" and "Downtown Lights" are
straight up honky tonkers.
Greg & the Tremblers dish out the Tex-Mex on a
couple of other songs. The Tremblers offer up a fine version of the
often-covered-in-country-music-circles, "Tougher Than The Rest," in what seems
to be turning out to be Bruce Springsteen's gift to country music. He probably
never realized at the time he wrote it, he'd written a song that transcends
genre, as it translates extraordinarily well into a country song. "Halfway" is
a bouncy and highly danceable gem. "She Turned On Me" mixes a bit of an old
time western rustic feel into a dark, Tex-Mex/border style song.
Greg goes back to his singer/songwriter roots for
the balance of the tracks on Fool's Paradise. "Life And Love" has a
rustic feel to it, and conjures up an image of a rougher around the edges Hank
Williams, perhaps the way he'd be singing his songs if he were around today.
""When You Tell Me Lies" also has a very gritty, rustic feel to it, though
married to more of a country-rock beat. "Another City" is steel driven
alt-country/folk. "Let Me In" is perhaps the most emotionally aching song on
the disc, a heartfelt and tender tale of longing to love.
Greg Hawk's songs are striking, in that he
translates his personal experiences so well into words that connect
emotionally with the listener, whether they be dance floor honky tonkers,
barroom weepers or his quieter, more reflective songs. Greg is also a very
capable singer that has a great knack for expressing the emotions in his
songs, and the Tremblers are an outstanding group of musicians. Fool's
Paradise is a terrific album that reflects many moods, and Greg and the
Tremblers prove once again there's some mighty fertile soil nurturing
those country roots in Chapel Hill.
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AnnMarie Harrington
Take Country Back January 2003