CJ Hooper – Over Yonder
I understand Elvis getting away with putting an album out without his name on the cover, or The Beatles, or The Rolling Stones. They’re recognizable. But CJ Hooper takes a chance not letting potential fans find his latest LP with just the album’s title in plain sight & not his name. Maybe it’ll be on the shrink-wrap.
The 7-track Over Yonder (Drops Feb 6/Independent/23:22) finds the Washington-state-based country singer/songwriter with deep Texas roots & a traditional country showcase, persuasive in his indulgent C&W material. This is Hooper’s sophomore effort, reflecting his love of old-school country. Sometimes he comes close to corny cowpoke with bad black coffee at a campfire & sometimes — impressively good.
However, his own arrangements of his songs do dip a bit into a country-rock motif. The opening tune “Burn It Down” is thickly arranged with barbed-wire guitar pops & locomotive beats. It’s a good incessant charge that’s sure to tug on the ears of young country enthusiasts who lean into the genre’s purer elements.
By the second cut, “Damaged Plan,” Hooper maintains an old-world country voice that should’ve been mixed just a hair above the overwhelming instrumentation. The song’s absorbing; it’s indeed good country stuff. It’s not hokey all the time, not novelty-oriented at all, but proficient. It’s the production that needs tweaking. I can tell the studio they recorded this at is capable. But the producer or engineer behind the equipment needs to reconsider some mixes. I know CJ is singing something tantalizing, but I can’t make out every word. The third track, “Hard Times,” has a percussive Tom Waits dark edge that’s delicious. I hear a banjo picking, but it’s all a jab ahead of CJ’s punch.
It sounds like CJ Hooper has a genuine feel for this country & western forte. An edgier Buck Owens & if Merle Haggard were 94 premium octanes, CJ qualifies as 89-plus. “Look Over Yonder” has a nice ZZ Top guitar spray across the picket fences of notes & his voice has the necessary country timbre of old school giants. But it’s the recording sound that’s not always consistent. Not the songs, the vocals or playing. That’s good. It could’ve been produced better.
A little Gene Autry cowboy gallop tune (“Yonderer”) ends the set brilliantly & though young ears may think this is too retro, a closer listen reveals its charm. CJ is quite good. The tight musicianship is reliably there, & recorded with skill & clarity. This is the jewel in CJ’s saddle. He does have a genuine, if not authentic, Texas vocal drawl in his timbre. A likeable one at that. Gosh darn.
Highlights – “Burn It Down,” “Damaged Plan,” “Hard Times,” “Look Over Yonder,” & “Yonderer.”
Musicians – CJ Hooper: vocals, rhythm guitar; Dylan Fant: bass guitar, drums; Josh Richins: lead guitar
Color image of CJ Hooper/Bandcamp. CD @ Bandcamp & https://cjhooper.bandcamp.com/track/hard-times & https://reputerecords.com/