Hazlett - “Mama’s Boy”
Leave it to Hazlett to consistently blow us away with his indie folk prowess. We have featured every song the man has ever sent to us and it’s not a contest, but if you want to get your music featured on our blog, grab a pen and paper, press play on “Mama’s Boy,” and take some notes.
Pressing play invites the song to enter your ears as though a distant dream, softly and heavenly fading in with the sweet sounds of strings and acoustic guitar. For a raw folk song, there is just enough digital evidence of its modernity, but not enough to distract the listener from the truly authentic craft for which Hazlett is known.
At approximately thirty seconds deep, “Mama’s Boy” unveils that voice that we’ve all come to know and love. We’re not quite sure how he does it, but it is simply impossible to hear a Hazlett tune and not know that he’s responsible for the remarkable vocal performance. It could be multi-tracked layers or it could be a gift from the universe, but his voice is what initially won us over as fans and it is what keeps us coming back for every new release.
And speaking of vocals, just wait until you catch an earful of the astounding backing layers. As they ride the tails of a subdued lead guitar, they provide what seems like an infinite depth to the already cinematic soundscape. More elements are added over the track’s duration, dramatically crescendoing on each refrain, with some dynamic percussion falling into place on the final third. As we approach a year since we began our blog, Hazlett is easily one of our favorite discoveries.
About “Mama’s Boy,” Hazlett explains: “There’s something disarming about a nice person, you build them up in your head that they can do no wrong and the minute they do it stones you. We don’t bat an eye at the scumbags and lowlifes when they cross us, we almost expect it from them. Maybe it’s because of the sincerity we dress the “good ones” in, maybe it’s our own fault or maybe at the end of the day people are just going to be people.”
“Mama’s Boy” comes ahead of the new EP, Goodbye to the Valley Low, which is due for release on December 8th via Nettwerk and BLNK Music.
-HD