Owing as much to folk and country traditionalists like Ralph Stanley and The Louvin Brothers as it does to more recent Americana artists like Jason Isbell and 16 Horsepower, the revisionist tones and old-timey rhythms of expert flat-picker Dillon Hodges sound as timeless as they do elegiac. His debut album Rumspringa showcases Hodges’ unparalleled mastery of the guitar as well as his ability to successfully adapt all his various influences into a cohesive musical statement. Far from being just another folk or country record with ties to the gospel-inflected artists of the 50’s and 60’s, Rumspringa is Hodges’ aural realization of years of hard work and practice and sounds like the work of a singular artist with a clear and definite idea of where he wants to go.
The latest track to be released from Rumspringa, “The Proof,” is all quiet build and sinister overtones with its talk of nooses and killers on the loose. It feels closer in tone to the gothic country rock of 16 Horsepower but also has a curiously effective sense of musical didacticism–the music is always there urging us on toward some indefinable end. The amazing guitar work and ever present banjo curlicues sweep over Hodges’ nasal twang and lend the song an air of ever-present relevance. This song sounds as though it could have been released the same year as The Louvin Brother’s seminal Satan Is Real record just as easily as it could be said to be released today. Hodges has found a very comfortable place among his heroes.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere the latest track “The Proof” from Dillon Hodges’ debut album Rumspringa.
