Wayne Hancock's third album, Wild, Free and Restless, is another richly eclectic melting pot of vintage American sounds with a distinctly rural orientation. Yet, in spite of the fact that
Hancock is an unabashed revivalist, his music never comes off as academic or as mere preservationism; these songs breathe with a lively energy, and the juxtapositions of styles seem natural and unselfconscious. The spirits of
Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, and
Bob Wills hang the heaviest over
Hancock's music, but there's also blues, big-band jazz, and some rockabilly insanity; plus,
Hancock covers both
Ernest Tubb ("Kansas City Blues") and Carl Perkins ("Blue Suede Shoes") this time out. Another fine effort from a singular stylist. ~ Steve Huey