Tommy Howell is putting everything on the line in the song “Hell of a Life,” one of eleven found on his new record American Storyteller this winter, but the brooding tonal presence of his voice is not isolated to this one excerpt from the tracklist. From the nature of the verses to his throaty delivery, there’s no way that you can listen to a song like this one and not pick up on the emotionality in Tommy Howell’s performance. The same can be said for all of the material he takes on in American Storyteller, his debut studio album and a great listen for anyone who appreciates Americana right now.
Beyond the lyrical treasures included here, “‘88,” “Miss Maybelle” and “Rose Hill” are quite evocative from a compositional perspective, using their tones to equate humanity into aural substances almost anyone with an ear for melody can relate to. I get the impression that producing a full-bodied experience was the most important factor Howell considered when structuring this rookie release – after all, if that weren’t the case, it would be hard for me to picture him putting as much of a cerebral quality and attitude into every track here as he ultimately did.
“Hell of a Life,” “Lady Luck,” “Hope I Ain’t Dead,” and “Rose Hill” each have a very rustic feel to their decadence, but it’s purely because of the approach Howell is employing here and not because of any forced cosmetics behind the glass. It’s easy to recreate the concept of a Tom Waits-style release if you’ve got enough time and a budget at your disposal, but to breathe life into an album without leaning on the trappings of another artist – or the tech that could be used to mirror them – is an entirely different story.
“Hope I Ain’t Dead” sounds like something off of a classic singer/songwriter release, but it still feels as original as “Possessed,” “Whiskey Demon” or the humble “Cold Dead Hands.” The fact that Tommy Howell can make it sound as fresh as it does while also establishing some familiarity with an unknown audience is a testament to how adeptly he can make almost any material into his own, and in this day and age, that’s not the kind of attribute that any critic can afford to scoff at.
Tommy Howell cuts a solid singer/songwriter debut for fans of puritan Americana and indie country everywhere in American Storyteller, and if you haven’t already listened to it, I’d recommend doing so at your next possible convenience. Here, Howell isn’t concerning himself with breaking into the mainstream or even impressing the critics that he has won over during his multi-decade career as an actor – he’s already done that, and he wants to do something even more artistically challenging than that with this music. American Storyteller is a statement of self and an at times indulgent offering that doesn’t care what you think about its stories and songcraft, and that’s precisely why I think it’s going to sit well with a lot of fans around the country this winter.
Troy Johnstone