by Frederick Leonard
Personality goes a long way. Sometimes the charm of one’s soul shines through in a way that exceeds all technical issues, politics, and personal preferences. All I have to say about this 13- song collection, in terms of its techinical value; is that it’s homemade. Its clean, bare bones, and free of any slick sonic ointments. Not one studio trick And this, my dear friends, is exactly what makes Peter Hall's CD so charmingly warm and human.
While much of the world is stressing on the newest, slickest. biggest, baddest, bestest next thing ever, this sounds like he sat down one day with a beer, hit the record button, and started spilling his guts as a guy. Meet Peter Hall. He's right here in person, in 3D - a person embedded in and giving life to an otherwise lifeless piece of mass-produced digitally capable plastic. Tough trick, artistically speaking. He tells stories and spins a heartfelt logic in a unique baritone croon that is quite special indeed. it was the first-thing that struck me as soon as I popped in the disc.
All the while, Hall does his lyrical business with a sense of humor and seems to have a knack for the sly delivery of irony. This ls one of those recordings that gets me chuckling in new places with each spin. He is obviously intelligent and Soulful as a writer. Shit matters to this guy and he has the insight to share his context. The sound has a retro feet But I must also say that it shines a contemporary attitude. Kinda sounds like driving your very first beater through the Blue Ridge Mountains on your way to The Haight with 'Wild Horses" on the radio. Musically there is something unique about the arrangements. Instead of trying to "audition" to the world about how great his chops are (he’s got ‘em), he’s decided to simply complement the spirit of each song with sparse and very appropriate renderings. The result is impressive by way of subtleties (the truest sign of intelligence & insight) and the image lies somewhere between his basic roots and the surreal irony by which Hall takes not in the very real world.