Sean Hayes' ‘Alabama Chicken’ (I'll talk about the chicken thing later) opens on a sentiment of peaceful coma with “Moonrise”. The saw is a beautiful instrument, not only for old flying saucers movie, so melancholic and emotional. And then, the songs with the saw are the best of the album. “Little Maggie”, “Alabama Chicken” and “Walking Down the Line” (a Bob Dylan cover which illustrates the music of Sean Hayes more than any review) are more rooted in an old South tradition, with banjo, nasal voice and country folk atmosphere. Sean Hayes ‘s voice sometimes reminds me of Vic Chestnutt and I mean that as a compliment. Nothing much to say, the whole thing is slightly repetitive and yet easy on the ear.

As far as the chicken is concerned, I find that the cartoonesque ‘Mind reading chicken” cover is antagonistic with the rest of the artwork and with the laid back folk music which are refined and moody. But that’s only an opinion. In the end, there is nothing truly upstriking about this record but it’s undoubtedly pleasant to listen to, a soundtrack for empty days and lethargies.

-Anus Anderson

/dec 15th 2003/