As my elders warned me before, in the (very) dim and distant post-punk wars, ‘beware of supergroups’ and, by and large, I’ve found that to be an excellent piece of advice. HWT&L (slips off the tongue doesn’t it) have been touted as a sort-of-supergroup, featuring Darren Hayman of the much missed Hefner and friends. I’m not sure if supergroup is the correct word given the members of HWT&L’s lack of pre-history in dreary, overblown stadium filling dinosaur bands, but based on this single alone I’d definitely term them a super group.
‘Jam-Eater Blues’ is a quirky, catchy version of a John Darnielle (Mountain Goats) song, propelled along by banjo, violin and a lolloping country bluegrass rhythm. Hayman delivers the absurd, sweet, clever lyrics in his unique style, telling us “Life is too short to refrain from eating jam out of the jar”. It certainly is, but not too short to keep spinning this fine song a few dozen times.
‘Dirty Tube Train’ re-works an old folk tune with Hayman adding his own lyric as he fantasises about meeting a dirty, sexy girl on mundane daily tube journeys:
She bit her lips three times since we past through Golders Green
All of these dirty things
I bet they’re not just for me.
Never has the daily commute sounded so much fun as it has on this wry, witty song. I’m not sure how or why this single works but it does. Both songs are short, sharp and great fun. Seriously good stuff.