Chuck Ragan
“Covering Ground”
(SideOneDummy)

When I had just turned 21, I went to a Hot Water Music show and drunkenly staggered over to Chuck Ragan at the bar, who was just trying to order a drink, and told him that Hot Rod Circuit was one of my favorite bands. I think he knew I meant Hot Water Music. But he laughed and replied, “Me, too, man. Me, too.”

The reason why this oft-repeated anecdote is included in this review is because it’s a good reminder of why Chuck Ragan and Hot Water Music are still popular: they’re approachable and will humor a drunk kid.

A lot of Hot Water Music’s aesthetic, and by extension Ragan’s, rests on the fact that it’s very much proletariat. It’s working class punk rock. This has become even more evident on Ragan’s latest solo effort, “Covering Ground.”

Backed with fiddles, harmonicas, and harmonies, songs like “Nomad by Fate” and “Valentine” are the kind of tunes that can bridge generations. Your dad likes Merle Haggard? Make him a mix that includes a track from this album. Of course, this isn’t a new discovery, but I like to drive that point home.

Conversely, Ragan’s songs are mellow and safe and, naturally, is the antithesis of Hot Water Music, however, when you listen to the lyrics and the melodies, it seems like the most organic direction for Ragan, whose HWM songs have always had a little bit of soul in them. This idea is prominent on “Come Around,” which begins with a short walking bassline before the rest of the instruments kick in.

If you’re a fan of his past solo work, this will certainly appeal to you and of what Ragan has released so far, it’s definitely one that I would recommend for people who haven’t been exposed to his work before.

— Ryan Pangilinan