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Michael Hurley surfaced at the eccentric end of theAmerican folk revival of the 1960s and hasn’t moved far since, becoming a totemfigure for new generations seeking a path into the weird old America.Although Hurley’s latest album was recorded over several years at differentstudios, the songs flow like a river of integrity, honoring the roots of Americana whilecontinuing traditions in different ways. The unhurried shuffle of “Wildegeeses”gradually fades away with a whistle and a sawing fiddle. The meditative “IStole the Right to Live” might be what Hank Williams could have written had helived into old age. Hurley’s gruff-hewn vocals are complemented by theunvarnished, stripped-down performance of his band.
