Multiple Grammy nominee – it would be a sin if he doesn’t win one after this accomplishment – John Hiatt has been distinguishing himself as a musician and songwriter since the early 1970s. In his music he is by turns earthy, bitter, angry and cheerful. Artists as diverse as Linda Ronstadt, Iggy Pop and Buddy Guy have covered his material. Coming across with an ease born of many years of experience, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (New West Records) is a rousing bracing listening experience with its boots firmly planted in rawboned hard-living  blues. The impression I get from him here is one of great warmth that suddenly vanishes; listening to him makes me feel like I’m at a barbecue, sitting on a porch on a hot sunny late afternoon when all of a sudden the sky darkens and you know, oh hell, a storm’s coming.

“Damn This Town” is  the first track and the sharp-edged jewel of the album, chilling song about family full of anger with some black humor along for the ride: “I’ve got a sister who’s a thief and she’s filled with hate/She got a job working for the state.” “All The Way Under” is a midtempo bluesy country acoustic number that has a lot of impact in Hiatt’s biting, raw growl: “I don’t trust a man that ain’t been lost/ I don’t trust a woman that ain’t been double-crossed.” “Down Around My Place” is a muted weary ballad from the perspective of someone who’s lived long enough to lose a lot.

“New York Had Her Heart Broke” mournfully retells of the World Trade center’s fall but ends on an uplifting note, sentimentally personifying the city as a strife-ridden but strong woman. Happier affectionate moments crop up to cut the dark on “I Love That Girl.” This powerhouse shows how country’s done. The gravel you hear in his voice you can almost hear crunching under your feet.

John Hiatt -Damn This Town by MMMusic

When New York Had Her Heart Broke by John Hiatt