Hayden: In Field & Town

Hayden is the lovably lo-fi Canadian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence with the title song for Steve Buscemi’s 1996 indie film Trees Lounge. Listening to his sixth full-length release, In Field & Town, is akin to a kid on Prozac experiencing “uplift anxiety.” The songs here are much more upbeat than what this indie-rock antihero offered listeners in the past. Longtime fans may find themselves missing his drawn-out, mumbly lyrical deliveries. Plus, it’s just not as sad.

Much like the Buscemi movie glorifies a 30-year-old layabout who keeps making the same mistakes, thanks to a world view clouded by alcoholism, In Town & Country seems to shuffle listeners through the same tired ideas—love gone stale, hopes dissolving, and general relationship anguish. But the album does so in a more upbeat way, musically speaking, and showcases Hayden’s skillful guitar playing.

While more jovial and interesting musically, In Field & Town just lacks the propulsion of the gloriously noisy, sad stuff a younger Hayden grunged out with on 1995’s Everything I Long For.

One welcome departure from the rest of the relationship-blowing pabulum on this album is “Lonely Security Guard,” in which he tells the story of a broken man who really isn’t what he seems—with a compelling pop hook done right. It’s honestly the only song that stuck in my head, proving that writing about something other than heartbreak could be a good tactic.

Hayden seems like a 40-year-old emo kid who’s still on a quest to get his own heart broken, rather than trying to capture someone else’s, which can get boring. That being said, his deep, throaty, Leonard Cohen-like voice is still pleasant enough to bring tears to your eyes if you happen to be a 16-year-old girl, in the right mood, or a crocodile.

– Brendan Dabkowski

Hayden: www.wasteyourdaysaway.com

Fat Possum: www.fatpossum.com