Music
Press
One unfortunate result of the alt-country boom has been that anyone with an acoustic guitar and a passable Jim James bleat can take up the mantle of "earnest troubadour" without having much feel for the music itself. But Louisville’s Neil Hulsewede is not kidding about his country cred: His solo debut Army of One is a hearty helping of straight-up honky tonk, presented tastefully and with little fuss.
There’s nothing “alt” about it — no self-mythologizing, no unearned world-weariness, no “next Gram Parsons” posturing — just plenty of tales of drinkin’, cheatin’ and ramblin’, buoyed by ample doses of pedal steel, chicken pickin’ and weepy fiddle. Hulsewede’s commitment to his craft means Army of One can sound a bit samey in parts, but the brisk 36-minute running time keeps the album light on its feet, and Hulsewede manages to show some range in the ’70s singer-songwriter touches of “It Keeps Getting Better” and the eerie, nocturnal folk of “Heading Out for Nowhere.” Army of One hardly reinvents the wheel, but its utter lack of pretense is refreshing enough in itself.
- Leo Weekly
Louisville has of late produced a nice little string of old-timey country albums, although they've gained too little notice. Hulsewede throws this apt addition of nine original songs onto that pile.
Hulsewede's twangy voice is well-served over pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle — particularly on “One Night in Lexington.” “Army of One” is an album for Merle Haggard enthusiasts and serves as another Louisville-bred reminder of just how terrible commercial country is.
- Velocity
Bored with rock, Neil Hulsewede turned to honky tonk on his solo debut, “Army of One.” Recorded by Jordan Forst of Adventure, Hulsewede has fashioned a collection of country-fied, warm-hearted introspection. Although dates are few and far between, Hulsewede says new year’s perhaps, might be when we see this set played live. - LeoMusicCast
Discography
Army of One: released 2008
1 Army of One
2 Oh Baby, You
3 I've Been Reflecting
4 Drinkin' Out on the Town too Late at Night
5 It Keeps Getting Better
6 One Night in Lexington
7 In My Blue Room
8 All My Good Times
9 Heading Out for Nowhere
10 Drinkin' Out on the Town too Late at Night
To listen to tracks off this album, visit www.myspace.com/neilhulsewedemusic
and
http://cdbaby.com/cd/neilhulsewede
Photos
Bio
I am a musician from Louisville KY who plays the guitar and the pedal steel guitar. I am also a singer/songwriter. At 34 years of age, I have been involved in the Louisville music scene for 13 years playing in many different bands at local bars and festivals. I have a music business degree from Indiana University, and I teach private guitar lessons on the side. Being a music lover, I have been influenced by many artists ranging from the Beatles to Dwight Yoakum.
I may be most notably known for the work I did with my former band, Gladstone. We were a 4 piece band that played both cover songs and original music that would fit into the alt-rock genre. We recorded three full length albums, however only two of them were released Gladstone, aka The Red Album and Barfly before the band called it quits in 2005.
After all these years of writing songs and playing in different bands I have finally managed to finish my first solo record, all while adapting to thirty-something. With help from my friend and collaborator Jordan Forst of Adventure, and with the help of a smoking honky-tonk band whom I am eternally grateful, it is now available. Gone are the days of noisy, ambiguous, rock songs. This record has elements of honky-tonk and folk with the energy of a rock n’ roll band.
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