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Mathew Scott

Micah P. Hinson

Micah P. Hinson and the Opera Circuit

(Sketchbook)

Micah P. Hinson brings with him the kind of profile that  dovetails perfectly  with his Southern  musical heritage - Christian fundamentalist upbringing, prescription drug addiction, bankruptcy and jail time served,  all before he'd got out of his teens.

Thankfully, he seems to have straightened things out somewhat on the personal side in recent years.

In between solo projects, he spends time with the Earlies, among others, and he brings some of their chamber pop sensibilities to his own work. Along with a whole lot more.

There are sweeping, haunting ballads (Drift off to Sleep), hard  rock (You're Only Lonely) and swirling, country carnival jigs (It's Been so Long).

His croaky vocals bring to mind a softer Tom Waits and his songs are littered with Waitsian tales of loss, regret and love.

But, again, like Waits, it's not all doom and gloom. Diggin' a Grave,  for example, may be dark in subject matter, but it's a toe-tapping celebration all the same.

There's enough humour swimming below the surface to lighten the load too. 'It's hard to make you care/ When it's hard to find you anywhere,' he sings on Jackeyed which is brimful

of hope.

The finale, Don't Leave Me Now!, weaves strings into a rush of feedback and impending  chaos, which then retreats back to strings which drift gently away.

A touch of madness, for sure, but  a touch of brilliance besides.



Micah P. Hinson