Singer/songwriter Eric Hill (http://www.erichill.net) specializes in working-class, blue-collar rock & roll that hasn't been heard in decades. That description is often used to categorize the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, but Hill's style looks further into the past, drawing upon '50s and '60s rock, folk, blues, and country.
If much of what passes for music today can be described as junk food, then "Head Over Heels" is meat and potatoes. This is straight up classic rock & roll without any artsy pretensions whatsoever. Hill seems to be receiving more attention in Europe than in the U.S., which is not surprising considering our fascination with American culture.
The title track is a flashback to the '50s with its deep bass groove and shuffling beat. Chris Isaak has established an entire career mining this era; however, Hill has his own take on it, putting more grit onto the bone than sauce on the steak.
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By "The Night's On Fire," Hill finds his creative strength, utilizing '60s-flavored jangling guitars that fit perfectly with his dry Lou Reed-ish voice. "Knight in Armor" features the LP's finest lyrics as Hill cops a medieval narrative atop layers of ringing riffs a la the Byrds. "The dust of ages is settling down/Upon my horse's bony flanks/And all the sages are in the ground/Lying with those shining ranks," Hill sings, and one can imagine him with his sword aloft, ready for battle.
With so many young artists trying to copy each other, Hill's time-spanning take on rock & roll is a breathtaking change of pace.
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