Joel Hofmann – Loud & Lonesome

Hofmann’s Facebook page tells customers that he and his father have sold their hardware and welding supplies business in San Marcos, TX. Needless to say, in doing my research I was hoping to get to the ‘nuts and bolts’ of his career but never literally! However, there’s a lot of artists in Texas playing traditional country music for love whilst no doubt paying the rent in daylight hours with something less exciting. This may go some way to explaining how Hofmann’s been able to make music since the start of the millennium. His record releases are few and far between as playing live is the way to go and so when he does commit to wax it’s a red letter day: this release is no exception.

Texas has remained true to traditional honky-tonk music. It’s a vibrant scene where there’s often a hardwood floor to pound with your partner in front of the musicians. This collection of 11 songs showcases Hofmann’s resonant baritone and brought to mind Dale Watson. Burning the Midnight Oil starts at a galloping pace with Hofmann telling us he’s also moving at speed in the wee hours as guitars joust, a great opener. The Billy Dee Donahue cover of Blackjack Attack refers to a potent bourbon that helps you with matters of the heart. Frankly, the clip set by the drums sounds like an impending heart attack! It’s not all fast and Sign in the Kitchen puts on show his lovely voice where a slide guitar and some B3 organ gently serenade in the background. He shares Landmark Tavern with Linda Gail Lewis and some fabulous honky-tonk piano. This is all the real thing.

Play Me the Waltz of the Angels is an interesting cover. The band, in the story, strikes up a request from an elderly widower. This was his wife’s favourite song. The lachrymose sentimental saturation here had me scrabbling to research the composer and discover it was Rory Feek. Feek’s 2021 Gentle Man album is full of songs as poignant as this and his duet with Dolly Parton on One Angel can genuinely stop me in my tracks to wipe away a tear.

This selection never misses a beat and this is what you’d hear clutching a beer sat in a dancehall watching the two-steppers. Look no further if you haven’t got to Texas yet but want a taste of the live music scene.