Reviews

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Ein interessanter Name: I See Hawks In L.A.. Was assoziiert dieser Bandname? Sehnsucht, Freiheit, Leidenschaft und ein Rest von Natur und Wilderness in der Betonwüste. Ein kurzer Blick auf das Albumcover bestätigt die Antwort auf die Frage. Zu sehen sind die drei Silhouetten von Rob Waller, Paul Laques und Paul Marshall. Die Herren stehen mit ihren Gitarren inmitten wilder Natur, umgeben von Büschen und Pflanzen, im Hintergrund zeichnet sich eine untergehende Sonne ab. Doch bestätigt auch der musikalische Output des neuen Albums, den Eindruck? Oh ja …

“New Kind of Lonely” heißt die neue Scheibe der Amerikaner. Sie präsentieren darauf einen Mix aus Folk, Bluegrass, und Country, dargeboten von akustischen Instrumenten, wie Gitarre, Banjo und Geige. Im Zuge einer philosophischen Diskussion in der kalifornischen Wüste gründeten Rob Waller sowie die Brüder Paul und Anthony Lacques die Band und schrieben anschließend die ersten Wurf an Songs. Durch die Unterstützung des West-Coast-Country-Rockers David Jackson entwickelte sich der Sound, der die ersten Alben prägte.

Das mittlerweile sechste Studioalbum zeigt indes Veränderungen: die Band ist zum Trio geschrumpft. Anthony Laucques und Drummer Shawn Nourse verließen die Adler-Beäuger. Das Ergebnis: ein ruhigerer, ausgewogener Sound. Akustische Gitarren und wohlige Vocals dominieren jetzt das Klangbild. Schon beim Opener “Bohemian Highway” mündet das spartanische Arrangement in einem herrlichen mehrstimmigen Refrain. Dieses Strickmuster gilt für viele der 13 neuen Songs. Die reduzierten Arrangement haben zur Folge, dass die Stimme von Rob Waller mehr als früher im Mittelpunkt steht. Das ist alles andere als ein Nachteil. Denn dem sonoren, warmkehligen Organ Wallers lauscht man nur zu gerne.

Ein gutes Beispiel dafür bildet der Song “The Spirit of Death”. Der Song bietet neben einfühlsamen Melodien und einer tiefgründigen Message auch einiges an Abwechslung in der Dynamik. Nach einem entspannten Beginn steigert sich der Track im gegen Ende in verzückte Ekstase – inklusive einem fantastischen Geigensolo. Dass es sich bei I See Hawks In L.A. um echte Philosophen handelt, wird freilich nicht nur im Bandnamen deutlich. Immer wieder drehen sich ihre Songs um tiefschürfende Themen,  immer wieder offenbart Sänger Rob Waller introvertierte Seelen-Schau. Die Lyrics sind entsprechend abgefahren: Wenn Rob Wallace in “I Fell In Love With The Greatful Dead” singt, fühlt man sich fast schon eingeladen in diesen “(…)parking lot caravan(…)” – von dem er erzählt – einzusteigen und der romantischen Lagerfeueratmosphäre beizuwohnen, welche die Hawks so herrlich vermitteln.
Zu den weiteren Glanzlichtern zählen das flotte “Hunger Mountain Breakdown” und das völlig entspannt dahinrollende “River Run” – ein Song, so beruhigend wie ein im Sonnenlicht dahinplätscherndes Flüsschen. Dass die musikalischen Nonkonformisten ihre Songs alle selbst schrieben und die CD auch eigenhändig produzierten, versteht sich bei I See Hawks In L.A. nahezu von selbst.

Fazit: Ein starkes Album. Melodischer Country-Folk vom Feinsten und eine uneingeschränkte Kaufempfehlung an Leser, die einen Hang für atmosphärische, traditionelle sowie akustische Country Music haben.

by Lee Zimmerman
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Forget the odd moniker; for the last decade or so, I See Hawks in L.A. have led the resurgence of a style of West Coast country rock that redefines the music of the Byrds, Burrito Brothers, Poco and the early Eagles. So what better route to take than to create an all-acoustic LP that brings the music back to basics while revisiting high desert terrain. A single listen to the song “I Fell in Love with the Grateful Dead” offers all the affirmation necessary, an ode to sunny days, idyllic environs, hippie chicks and the joys of hitting the highway. Likewise, songs like “Bohemian Highway,” “Dear Flash,” “River Run” and “Highland Park Serenade” emit a campfire-like glow, with acoustic guitars, fiddle, banjo and dobro providing a sepia tinted back porch feel. Those in search of a sound that’s mellow, melodic and as freewheeling as a cluster of tumbleweeds ought to find reason to keep these hawks in their sites. (www.iseehawks.com)

by Bryan Thomas

When You Awake: I wanted to start off by asking you about the new album, of course, which is a mostly all-acoustic collection of songs, the first one you’ve released in your long history as a band. Was there a particular reason for doing it now?

Paul: Several of our earlier recordings started off acoustic, but we could never resist the lure of the pedal steel and Telecaster.  This time we took a vow of no electricity, and managed to go cold turkey.  Scary at first, then quite rewarding.

WYA: I remember the first time one of our mutual friends, Doran, told me about you guys playing a longtime residency in the basement of Cole’s Bar, 6th and Main, east of downtown L.A., often with fiddle player Brantley Kearns (ex-Dave Alvin’s and Dwight Yoakum’s bands) sitting in on a regular basis. Is this new album in any way an attempt to recreate or recapture those Wednesday night shows?

Paul: Not consciously, but quite likely. We played once a week at Cole’s, for three years, unless we were on tour, and that honed our acoustic sound.  There’s an immediacy to the lyrics and the emotion of the song when it’s stripped down, and the notes die out more quickly. [continue reading…]

I See Hawks In L.A.
New Kind of Lonely
By Gerry Gomez, Staff Writer, Turnstyled and Junkpiled
Los Angeles’ reigning kings of Cosmic American Canyon Country Rock must be easing into a comfy chair atop a shag carpet right about now, enjoying a smoke and a toke as they celebrate their sixth release, New Kind of Lonely. Continuing the tradition of mellow, Folky-Psychedelia, paired with warm vocal harmonies, the group’s dynamic brings chief-songwriter, Rob Waller’s, rich, illustrative, socially poignant lyrics to life again with a sound only they can produce.

Long at the top of hill of the local batch of folk infused country rock bands that re-sparked in the canyons over a decade ago, I See Hawks in LA prove with New Kind of Lonely, why they are so beloved and also why lyrically, they stand for something larger than themselves. Musically, there’s no denying that the Hawks have honed a tight bond over their twelve years as musicians and brothers, with Paul and Anthony Lacques forming one of the most consistent and cohesive outfits in the local genre.
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I See Hawks in L.A.
L.A. Weekly
By Mikael Wood
Longtime purveyors of what Gram Parsons called “cosmic American music,” I See Hawks in L.A. go all-acoustic for their latest, called New Kind of Lonely and due out March 6. It’s lovely, beautifully harmonized stuff (with some sweet fiddle action by Gabe Witcher of Punch Brothers), but what distinguishes the record from others by any number of history-conscious roots acts is the Hawks’ taste for the less-than-lovely, as reflected in the title track, where Rob Waller recounts the time “Randy went out, got wasted with the boys, chasing skirts and getting hurt”; later, he spins a tale in “Big Old Hypodermic Needle” you don’t need me to unravel. Tonight they’ll celebrate the album’s release amid the appropriately instrument-jammed environs of McCabe’s, with former Lone Justice/X dude Tony Gilkyson as support.
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Twangville
NKOL REVIEW
by Shawn Underwood
Driving east out of Bakersfield you see it long before you get there, the heat shimmer distorting lines and colors, and yet somehow it kind of sneaks up on you.  One minute you’re in civilization, the next…nowhere.  California’s high desert has inspired musicians from Gram Parsons and the Eagles to Ted Nugent and Queens of the Stone Age.  I suppose it’s the way you feel so achingly cold and alone in the middle of a 100 degree sunny day.  Or maybe it’s the carefree feeling you somehow experience in the middle of a freezing cold, moonless night when half the creatures you may run across can kill you.  Emotions and circumstances between Mojave and Barstow carry no relation to each other and reality blurs.  That’s the conflict I See Hawks In L.A. has managed to capture in their latest release, New Kind Of Lonely.
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Michael Doherty’s Musiclog
NKOL REVIEW
Known both to fans of the jam band scene and to country music fans, I See Hawks In L.A. is a Los Angeles-based band that features excellent vocals and songwriting. And what’s more, these guys are damned good musicians. Their new CD, New Kind Of Lonely, is an acoustic album. Fans of Wilco and Son Volt should take special notice of this CD, particularly because of the vocals. The acoustic work makes this one feel intimate.
My favorite Grateful Dead records are the acoustic ones – American Beauty, Workingman’s Dead and Reckoning. Similarly, this might be I See Hawks In L.A.’s best album. This album, even more than the others, really demonstrates what a great, emotional and wise voice Rob Waller has. Plus, this group has great harmonies, which you can hear on basically every track, but especially in a song like “Mary Austin Sky.”

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NKOL Review
Blog Critics
by David Bowling 

I See Hawks In L.A. may be an odd name for a band, but it is one of the best alternative country bands, in concert and on stage, working today. The name actually comes from a diffident gesture: “If you see hawks, then maybe we should talk.”

The band was formed in 1999 by Bob Waller, plus Paul and Anthony Lacques. When this album was recorded, the core members consisted of guitarist/lead vocalist Waller, guitarist/dobro player Paul Lacques, and bassist Paul Marshall. They are supported by fiddle player Gabe Witcher, banjo player Cliff Wagner, drummer Dave Raven, and accordion player Richie Lawrence. The group has released five albums of what can be best defined as psychedelic/electric alternative country music. The guitars were the prominent instrument, with a thumping rhythm section in support.

Their sixth album, A New Kind Of Lonely, travels in a very different direction. The band’s acoustic sets have always been well-received, so now it has recorded just about an all-acoustic album, with only a dash of electric bass. The acoustic guitar sound of Waller and Lacques is now more subtle, as the fiddles, banjos, stand-up bass, and accordion take the overall sound in a more traditional country direction. What remains intact are their incisive lyrics, which deal with the environment, death, loss, and scathing social commentary. Also still present are the exquisite three-part harmonies which add a shimmering glow to their sound.

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Grassroots Band Spreads Gospel of Country
I See Hawks In L.A. plays Friday night at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica.
By Peter Gerstenzang, (Santa Monica Patch)
Have you been Lady Antebellum-ed to death? Sugarland-ed within an inch of your life? Band Perry-ed until you can’t think straight? In other words, assaulted with so much pleasant pop-country, you can’t take it anymore?

Well, pardner, sounds like you need to be de-programmed.

Mosey down to McCabe’s Guitar Shop on Friday and check out I See Hawks In L.A. These dudes do not wear cowboy hats or string ties, nor do they have southern accents. But they possess the spirit of country, more authentically than just about anyone else out there.
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On Friday night at McCabe’s, I See Hawks in L.A. played a release show for their new album New Kind of Lonely. Joining them on the bill were their like-minded compadres, Old Californio.  Both bands write and play songs about the beauty, past and present, of living in California.  While both are exceptional electric country rock bands, Friday night was a stripped down acoustic format.  With its walls of guitars and its performer-friendly sound system, McCabe’s was a fine choice in which to go unplugged.  Onstage, the joining link between the two bands was Paul Lacques, a founding member of the Hawks, and a true MVP who also sat in for the entire Old Californio set on dobro.

What’s in a name, anyway?  Consider I See Hawks in L.A.  Not that long ago, but certainly a world of change earlier, the L.A. basin was rural farmlands, orchards, creeks, groves and mountains with little or no development. It was a great place to live as a soaring, predaceous bird.  Though the landscape has certainly changed, there are still hawks in L.A.  We don’t often catch a glimpse of them but when we do see one above the freeway or a business park, it’s a keeper moment of the day.  An intrepid hawk reassures us that the bigger picture is still intact; it is a fleeting link to an impressive past.   This sentiment surely powers ISHILA’s songwriting.

I See Hawks in L.A.

One of the first things one hears with the Hawks is that they sing together seamlessly.  Lacques’ and Rob Waller’s voices mesh tightly and Paul Marshall covers the top end to assemble a sweet, accent-free three part harmony.  Waller’s lead vocals sound very familiar, evoking a host of different midrange singers but, happily, he always sounds like the singer of the Hawks.

For New Kind of Lonely the Hawks decided to go very close to all acoustic, and for this show the lineup was Lacques on lead guitar, vocals, and dobro, Waller on lead vocals and guitar, and Marshall on upright bass and vocals.  The percussion for the bulk of this set came from their picks, fingers and strings. Interestingly, neither guitar was plugged in, just miked, old school.

The sound on Friday was crystal clear — enough room for the guitars to intertwine while sounding distinct, and nice separation on the bass.  Lacques had all kinds of room to embellish and he was on his game, approaching his fills from many tasteful angles.  Mostly he played flat-picked bluegrass runs, but he also ornately colored his tone with two note chordal runs and timely flourishes.  He didn’t show off with speed or any of the usual guitar trickery — that is just not his approach, though when he needs to be he is very quick.  His style was all about using what works best to bring a song vividly to life.

New Kind of Lonely is loaded with strong material, so the night was filled with rich moments.  While they do juxtapose urban images with their considerable appreciation for mountains, sky, and the sacredness of the desert in songs like “Mary Austin Sky” they also go further.  “The Spirit of Death” was a beautiful song inspired by and dedicated to local fiddle sensation Amy Farris, whose death hit the group hard. “I Fell in Love With The Grateful Dead,” was a light-hearted, descriptive set of recollections, but it was also an interesting piece of music to listen to.  Towards the end of the song the Hawks turned on a dime, much like the Dead might have, headed into a jazzy segue for a tasty several moments, then back to the original feel.

The Hawks served up another nice contrast when “Highland Park Serenade” transcended from a fondly wistful, yet resigned present tense description of HP to a marvelous Spanish chorus and instrumental section where you can nearly smell the carne asada cooking as the sun sets.  On Friday, Richie Lawrence was on hand (from the deepwater port of Stockton, no less!) to further color the song with his accordion.  Lacques’ sounded nothing short of beautiful over the swirl.

About half way through the set the Hawks brought out their charismatic buddy Cliff Wagner, in blue denim overalls, with tats on his forearms, and looking like he might have walked in out of the West Virginia night.  He tore it up on the most hillbilly leaning song of the night, “Hunger Mountain Breakdown.” It seemed altogether fitting that he played a banjo with fish inlays down its fret board.  No doubt about it, the interplay between Wagner’s banjo and Lacques’ dobro satisfied mightily.  And it was fun to watch Lacques dip the slide into a finger picked chord to spin it along.

These are tough times for a talented band struggling to be heard.   The internet is an easy place to be heard or downloaded, but it’s very hard to get paid for your music there.  In order to finance New Kind Of Lonely the Hawks reached out to their loyal fan base much like public radio does.   They offered a creative series of premiums ranging from a day at the shooting range to lessons in composting and terracing techniques with the different band members…and it all worked out.   You just have to root for a band with this much talent and adaptive skill to beat the odds and reap some success.

Old Californio went with two acoustic guitars (Rich Dembowski and Woody Aplanap), piano (Levi Nunez), electric bass (Jason Chesney), dobro (Lacques) and an improvised drum kit (Justin Smith on a snare and a suitcase!). Their set was only about a sweet half hour long, but it left us wanting more.  It just goes to show that if you have strong tunes they will shine in any format.  A good batch of songs is just that!

by Bliss
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I See Hawks in LA won’t be holding a proper release party for “New Kind of Lonely” until its Feb. 24 show at McCabe’s in Santa Monica. But local fans can get a preview of the new tunes this Friday when the Hawks return to the Coffee Gallery Backstage.

Cut live in the studio around three microphones, “New Kind of Lonely” is an acoustic project that highlights one of the trademark elements of the Hawks’ sound: the tightly woven harmonies between frontman Rob Waller, dobroist Paul Lacques and bassist Paul Marshall. As a band, they’ve long since proved they can rock the house, particularly during more anthemic numbers like “Humboldt,” a staple of their club sets. But their acoustic shows have generally fostered an intimacy that audiences have also relished, and those fans are likely to respond warmly to the new recording. The open space in the acoustic settings directs more attention to the richly poetic, thoughtful lyrics, which balance humor with a pervasive sense of mortality and loss. [continue reading…]

by Chris Griffy
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I See Hawks in L.A. is a band that has won over a ton of fans with their seamless blend of California Country-Rock and Psychedelia on their five previous albums, as well as through their strong live performances.

Of late, I See Hawks in L.A. have increasingly flirted with all-acoustic shows, hosting a one-mic acoustic series in Los Angeles’ Cole’s bar and with acclaimed tours in support of Americana superstars like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dave Alvin, and Chris Hillman.

After years of teasing fans with glimpses of a what a stripped down I See Hawks in L.A. sounds like, the band has finally pulled the trigger on their first all-acoustic album, titled New Kind of Lonely, releasing March 6. [continue reading…]