I Like to Keep Myself in Pain (Anti-, 2012)
Kelly Hogan
Reviewed by Brian Baker
Thankfully, Hogan's friends once again convinced her to step into the spotlight for another solo album. "I Like to Keep Myself in Pain" is a marvel of depth, cohesion and consistency, even as it flirts with classic country (the Willie Nelsonesque title track), pop (the Shelby Lynne-touched We Can't Have Nice Things), jazz (the hypnotic Sinatra rumination of Daddy's Little Girl), roots rock (the propulsive Haunted) and all of the above (her own brilliant composition, Golden) while relying on a dizzying cast of songwriters from all musical corners (Robyn Hitchcock, Andrew Bird, Jon Langford, M. Ward). "Pain" certainly benefits from its all-star band, including legendary keyboardist Booker T. Jones and Daptones honcho Gabriel Roth, but it's Kelly Hogan's beautifully earthy voice and unique creative vision that weaves the disparate threads of song, style and presentation into a compelling and consistently wonderful sonic tapestry.
CDs by Kelly Hogan
©Country Standard Time • Jeffrey B. Remz, editor & publisher • countrystandardtime@gmail.com
About • Copyright • Newsletter • Our sister publication Standard Time