John Hiatt Crossing Muddy Waters LP (Transparent Orange Vinyl)

• DESCRIPTION

John Hiatt's 2000 album Crossing Muddy Waters adroitly captures his comfort and confidence. Not so much blues as blusey, Crossing Muddy Waters features 11 Hiatt compositions, half of which feel instantly familiar. The rambunctious "Lift Up Every Stone" sounds a little like some of Tom Waits's more accessible recent efforts, while "Take It Down" is a love-lost lament that's as heavy as a foggy evening.

Crossing Muddy Waters was cut in three days and features only two accompanists—the uncommonly sympathetic Davey Faragher and David Immerglück.

Hiatt's voice has never sounded better; its coarse edges sometimes straining for high notes works perfectly with this craggy, unpolished music. The mandolin is the most distinctive instrument here, and its brittle, trebly, crisp tone gives the disc an underlying tension, especially on the ballads that comprise the majority of the album. Heart-rending, sincere, stripped down yet multi-faceted, John Hiatt has taken a step forward by taking a small step back. Crossing Muddy Waters is a subtle treat and an album whose watercolor brush strokes paint a vibrant picture of stirring delicacy.