Hawks - Truth Will Out (2019)

The debut album from Danny Cash’s band Hawks is a combination of heartland and Southern rock, mixing big guitars, anthemic melodies and soulful grit, falling somewhere between the radio gold of Bob Seger and the seedy punch of Drive-By Truckers. Cash, who used to be My Morning Jacket’s keyboardist, is on guitar and vocals in Hawks, and his commanding voice fits neatly into the band’s tough roots sound. “When It All Comes Down” and “It Ain’t Easy” are the highlights and they seem meant to be played at full volume deep into Saturday night. —Scott Recker