Wayne Hancock - Slingin’ Rhythm (2016)

A Wayne "The Train" Hancock album is as refreshing as a beer pulled from a tub of ice on a hot summer's day; dang if it ain't always a kick how surprisingly JUST RIGHT it is. Slingin' Rhythm is just right, a finely honed brand of juke joint rhythm sitting in the sweet spot of American music invention between country, hillbilly, jazz, and Western swing. And while Wayne is indeed a throwback, the funny thing is, the more retro he gets, the fresher he sounds. His songs about the everyday and the everyman, with their driving rhythm and live-in-the-moment vibe, have a character and passion that go beyond a particular time. With its emphasis on organic interplay and extended soloing, Wayne and his band drive the centerline between tight and loose. Like a latter day Bob Wills, spontaneously calling out encouragement, or Hank Sr and Ernest Tubb effortlessly knocking out smile (and dance)-through-the-pain honkytonk, Wayne Hancock delivers an unvarnished, BS-free restorative.