Listen to Luke Ydstie and Kati Claborn as The Hackles sing on 2018’s THE TWILIGHT’S CALLING IT QUITS and clearly the bones of great music and great song writing are already there. In the ensuing five years the band has grown to include Halli Anderson from River Whyless and Horse Feathers and broadened musically. Layers of nuanced music and cobweb harmonies drift in and out around the trio’s sublime songs carrying them as far as I concerned from great to remarkable. With WHAT A BEAUTIFUL I HAVE MADE, and grounded in Astoria Oregon, The Hackles, like a musical apothecary, have now made a trio of albums and an EP, spinning different ingredients into something beautiful, special and rich.
“Damn The Word”, a song about being misunderstood, demonstrates the layers and the depth to The Hackles. What starts as loping folk country with banjo and beautiful vocals from Kati and Halli veers sideways when Luke’s almost glissando electric guitar kicks in, gaining real edge. Building forts in the garden, led to thoughts of decay and falling apart, which led to “Hum With The Worms”, a shimmering delight of a song. Country pedal steel, layers of vocals and touches of clarinet are expertly blended into a light as air whole, all underpinned by Dan Hunt’s sparkling train like percussion. Luke’s soulful vocals, with Halli and Kate harmonising, float through “James’ Drink” a song celebrating live music and specifically a local venue and community space. “I want to sing into your faces and see you dancing in the dim dim light.” The vocals are the song as washes of violin and clarinet swirl around them. “Angela” is a cover of a track by Desdemona Sands, a side project that Halli and Kati have with Astoria musician Gabrielle Macrae. A surreal song of double edged discoveries, again awash with stunning vocals and an interesting arrangement. The magic of The Hackles is in the layering of four musicians, often playing multiple instruments in way that leaves space and room through the track. “Birdcage” drips with country music tension, dark lyrics extrapolated from a local newspaper ponder a broken relationship, are at odds with the sweet miasma of the music, but the whole is of course beautiful. Similarly Halli’s bitter sweet “Water For Your Bedside”. “Pictures Of Elvis” and “Alligators” are other examples of how Luke Ydstie, like Kurt Wagner from Lambchop, can shift from idle thoughts to observed details to deep philosophy in a song. “I Know I’m made of all I adore” is a line for a T Shirt. Like Lampchop, or The Be Good Tanya’s or Po’ Girl, my other musical reference points, The Hackles have defined their own beautiful, lush soulful, almost jazzy corner of acoustic Country Folk where you can ruminate on the lyrics or just bob along in the wonderful music. The title track, reminding me strongly of 70s North East Folk Rock trio Prelude, uses perfect three part vocals to deliver layers of real life philosophy, as the simple rural life meshes with the life of the musician. “Steve” is a hard look at modern life inspired by “it makes no sense at all, and if it does I don’t like it” a line from English modern day Swift Terry Pratchett. Although to be fair Kati then surrounds the quoted line with equally deft lyrics Pratchett would have happily stolen back. The Hackles ground their magic in real life. In 2022 Luke and Kati recorded SONGS FOR THE FOOL, a set of songs without words. Luke would play them for Kati’s dad who was suffering from aphasia due to brain cancer. He loved it when Luke played and it was a nice way to spend time with him when other forms of communication were difficult. This leads to the album’s final song, “First Time For Everything”, a song about challenge, with the vocals and guitars recorded in Kati’s Dad’s house after he had passed on. Kati says he was their biggest fan, the sense of time and place infuses the song with depth with just a dusting of keyboards and clarinet.
Quietly stunning and highly recommended
Marc Higgins 02/08/23
Time Past and Time Passing 
[…] The Hackles, What A Beautiful Thing I Have Made (2023) Jealous Butcher Records […]
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