Canadian country singer-songwriter, Lynne Hanson launched her solo career with the release of her first record, Things I Miss in 2006, which was followed by Eleven Months (2008), and Once the Sun Goes Down(2010). In 2010, the same year she released her third record, she won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Awardfor her song “Rest of My Days”. Lynne was also a New Folk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas in 2009. Lynne has made a rather large impression on Americana/country fans, including two of FTCR’s own writers. Her music is real, raw, and has a great deal of depth to it.
Here we are with Lynne’s latest offering, her fourth studio album, 7 Deadly Spins. Now, for those who aren’t familiar with Hanson’s music, she is a self-proclaimed serial murder ballad writer. Her material tends to lean towards the darker side, which is exactly why I was drawn to her music in the first place. I love murder ballads, I love the darker songs, the ones that make you feel right down to the depths of your soul. That’d exactly what this record does to you, it makes you feel the songs, the misery and the darkness down in the hidden parts of your soul.
The idea of recording a concept album consisting of murder ballads actually came as a suggestion from an audience member at one of Hanson’s shows. At the time, Hanson wasn’t in any hurry to record another record, having just released her third record River of Sand the year before, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. She ended up coming up with the perfect title, “7 Deadly Spins”, therefore leading her to decide to go forward with the project, because after all, once you have a title, you have to do it, right? Right around the same time, Hanson was scheduled for knee surgery, and she decided that an album of seven songs (to go with the theme of the title) would be an excellent recuperation project.
The record opens with “Gravedigger”, a bluesy roots story about murders and the gravedigger that buries the victims. Hanson moves through several different tales of murders that took place around town using the chorus of “Gravedigger, that’s my name/ ashes to ashes/ just chalk in the rain/ break the rules/ can’t change the game/ gravedigger, that’s my name”, to weave the tales together. “Water’s Edge” spins the tale of a woman who murdered their lover/spouse, who evidently was caught cheating, and buries them down by the water’s edge to hide the deed. Lynne weaves the dark story with excellent and telling verses like, “I’m diggin’ to hide what I done/ as my lover lays dead”, “tattered dress, bloody hands/ dirt covers my wedding band/ I feel a cold sweat running down my back”, and “There’s no regrets when a soul turns black”. I have to say, “Water’s Edge” is one of my top favorites from this record.
“My Mama Said” features a slightly different sound than the first two tracks. The first two tracks had a blues mixed with country/roots-rock sound. They were edgier, production wise. “My Mama Said” has more of a pure roots sound to it. There’s an atmosphere of foreboding to the song, as it tells the tale of a man in jail, who is set to hang for his crimes. As the narrator explains, “I’m set to hang for the evil that I done”, and goes on to say, “no hope for redemption/ her words are ringing in my head/ the world will be a better place/ that’s what my mama said”. The man goes on to give us (the listener) details about his character and the crime he committed in verses like, “I was born with the devil in me/ dark urges fill my thoughts/ I could no more change what I am, than a leopard change his spots,” and “the preacher from my town always said I was a curse/ at barely 16 years of age, I tore him from this earth/ I sent his soul tumbling from this earth.” Hanson is an expert lyricist, proving it once and for all with this record, and notably, this song. “My Mama Said” is another one of my favorites on this superb record.
“Cecil Hotel” is a desperado’s story of living on the run, never able to return home again. The desperado explains his dire situation with the verses, “before I go to sleep, pray the devil don’t find me dead/ Saint Christopher around my neck, got a Bible near my bed/ yeah, I get down on my knees, pray the devil don’t find me dead/ I sleep with one eye open and shotgun by my head.” “Black Widow” revolves around the story of an elegant woman who killed her husband. The narrator describes the woman as having raven hair, deep blue eyes, red wine lips, a rose tattoo on her breast, and wearing a long green dress. We learn that the woman is a northern belle and has been married five times. The song explains, “Strong men fall down on their knees and beg, beg, beg”, “Black widow, there is no escape/ she’s the last bad choice any man is gonna make”, and “husbands drop like flies/ oh it never ends well/ the rumors swirl, but dead men don’t tell/ how she plans, to the smallest detail/ she ain’t never been caught/ ain’t spent a day in jail/ she sure looks good in that long black veil.”
The record closes out with the rollicking, raucous “First One’s Free”. It follows in the footsteps of the first two tracks, featuring a country-rock production that’s loud and proud. 7 Deadly Spins is absolutely stellar! The record proves how truly awesome a concept album can be, if it’s done right. The lyrical content is intriguing, stunning, haunting, and clever all in one murderous package. The record certainly had all the potential to be a last minute addition to the inevitable year end “best albums of 2015” lists. If you haven’t already had a listen, you NEED to. Seriously you’re missing out on a major thing. Hanson takes first place in murder ballads.
Originally posted here.
