The Hooten Hallers: “Back In Business Again” (2022) CD Review

The Hooten Hallers have been in business for fifteen years, releasing fantastic music with strong blues roots. Based in Columbia, Missouri, the band is made up of John Randall on guitar, lap steel and vocals; Andy Rehm on drums, percussion and vocals; and Kellie Everett saxophone, clarinet and vocals. They put out their first, self-released album in 2007, and have followed that with several studio and live releases. Their new album, Back In Business Again, features all original material, with each of the three members contributing. The music is a wonderfully raw combination of blues and rock, with a punk edge and a strong sense of fun. Some guests join the band on these tracks, including Dominic John Davis on bass, Ryan Koenig on harmonica, John Wesley Myers on keys, and Hank Miller on trumpet.

Back In Business Again opens with its title track, which comes on strong and contains a healthful dose of optimism. That is reflected in the album’s cover as well, which makes us think of that old proverb about what to do when life hands you lemons, a positive saying if ever there was one. On the other hand, a kid doesn’t make much money at a lemonade stand, and the profits here are to be divided three ways, so… perhaps this optimism is tempered with a bit of reality? Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Been saving all of my dough/Can’t wait to get on the dance floor/Might need some music that grooves/So I can show you my dance moves/My baby’s looking so fine/And I got two bottles of wine.” And that shout of “Saxophone!” leads to a good sax lead that takes us back to those great early rock ‘n’ roll tunes. This is a song to help pull us all through, to urge us to get past our troubles and obstacles. It’s followed by “The Cobbler’s Children.” There is a delicious raw power to this music, as well as a joy, even as they sing, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes/And the loser’s kid’s got nothing left to lose.” An optimistic vein still does run through this one, heard in lines like “I can’t say much for my luck/But it doesn’t mean that things won’t turn my way/Got my ear to the ground/And you know I’ll hear the sound/When the good times are coming back to stay.”

“Show Me” has a slower groove, with a certain classic sound that is familiar and appealing. “Talk is cheap/And, honey, lies are too/But they keep me holding onto you/As baseless as they are.” Then “Now That I Know” begins with a slow groove, “a little bit lonely, a little bit blue,” then kicks in for the chorus to become a totally fun rock and roll gem, featuring some joyful work on saxophone. It then returns to the slower pace for the next verse. This is a seriously good song. That’s followed by “Cat Scrap,” which has a great, mean groove. The vocals contain a sense of looming trouble at the beginning, then the chorus is delivered with the energy of a scream. It’s a cool, wild track, much too good to be about cats. I dig that saxophone.

At the beginning of “Vankiller,” things seem to be falling apart, dropping into chaos, just like the vehicle of the song’s title. But soon things settle into a steady groove, and the energy never lags. They shout the name of the song like they might howl the name of a monster from an old movie. This one keeps us on the edge. It is a very cool track. Then “Broke The Spell” has a seriously catchy groove, yet still comes from those shadows where the carnival freaks thrive, the saxophone lead sounding like a barker whose command of language has left him due to creatures removing his tongue. They then take us down to New Orleans with “Heal It,” which has a ridiculously wonderful jazzy vibe and a good, positive message, wrapped up in some completely delicious sounds. “You only get one turn in the game of life/So you got to do the best that you can/Don’t waste your time staring at the hour glass/Living with your head in the sand.” This is one of my personal favorites, and it only gets better as it goes. “Well, life can be nasty, brutish and short/And we’re all going through it too.”

They slow things down a bit on “Straight Down The Line,” which has something of a classic sound, but with vocals much grittier than what would have been expected back then. And yet this track has a sweet center. “And I want to let you know/Oh, I’m always here for you/So I use these special words/To remind you love is true/Straight down the line/Straight down the line/Baby, I’m right beside you/Straight down the line.” The album concludes with what might be its coolest track, “Even The Blues Gets The Blues,” a slow, sexy, dark blues number with a haunting, otherworldly vibe. On this one, Kellie Everett gets a chance on lead vocals. “Since the dawn of humankind/There has been such trouble on their minds/Every lover left behind/Every dream that came to die/Since the dawn of humankind/Try as they might/There is no respite/The blues are getting bluer.” Then the guitar takes over for a time, certainly having something to say on the matter.

CD Track List

1. Back In Business Again
2. The Cobbler’s Children
3. Show Me
4. Now That I Know
5. Cat Scrap
6. Vankiller
7. Broke The Spell
8. Heal It
9. Straight Down The Line
10. Even The Blues Gets The Blues

Back In Business Again was released on September 9, 2022 through Garlic Press.