Martin Zellar & The Hardways
Martin Zellar & The Hardways (Rykodisc) (star) (star) (star) 1/2
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Minnesotan Martin Zellar mines the pathos of blue-collar life with his second recording after the breakup of his band the Gear Daddies. Heartland sensibilities, contemplative lyrics and soulful growls build a stark landscape as Zellar mourns the loss of innocence a la Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. The Hardways — guitarist/singer Dan Neale, keyboardist Jon Duncan, bassist Dominic Ciola and drummer Marc Retish — just as adeptly turn on dime in spitting out rollicking numbers. Zellar gets into the mind of a condemned killer whose hatred is as chilling as his tale of abuse at the hands of a father on the explicit “Guilty Just The Same.” His tight-knit outfit masterfully injects country-and-western, blues, rock and even Cajun influences.