As I grew older,
I moved from reading Q to Uncut magazine. I shared their love of Americana or Alternative
Country, and enjoyed their yearly sampler CDs. The one I remember best from 1998,
started with the wonderful "Tarmac"
by Hazeldine. I had never heard of them before, but I was instantly hooked
within the first few chords.
Hazeldine, three
female guitarists and a drummer from Albuquerque, were in the vanguard of Alt
Country, a reaction to the polished 1990's Nashville sounds. Their first album
"How Bees Fly" was actually a demo tape recorded in a pool hall, but
it found a release and popularity in Europe.
"Tarmac"
was the first single, and has a great mixture of raw musicality with precise
and mature lyrics.
As I
mentioned, the start is powerful and gripping as the guitars produce a great and
catchy riff. The fuzzy guitars and feedback are the highlight of the record, and
rewarded with the extended breaks in the middle and at the end.
The opening
line isn't bad too - "This town forgets to draw its blinds /
I see the last-ditch carnal crimes". It unfolds as a late night requiem
for a former lover. Home alone as "couchside TV glows", she desperately
wishes he would come back and "f*ck me like Batman" (really!).
But she knows
there will be no return, and "blood flowing / and scars showing / and you
won´t be back" convey the pain and regret. To produce such lyrics on a
debut album is very impressive. Shawn Barton's vocals do justice to these words, and
you can feel the pain towards the end.
The only query
- why is the title Tarmac, as there is no reference to driving or roads, unless
it relates to his departure ?
Hazeldine released three more albums, but struggled
with records labels, low sales, and have been dormant since 2000. There is little legacy just one concert on Youtube and two tracks on Spotify. A great pity, but I will always remember "Tarmac".
Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0o7HzdZWdg&t=31s (seems to be a holiday video with Tarmac as
the background)
Hear Next -
The debut "How Bees Fly"
