The Heymakers

Makin’ Hey (Haystack)

Too bad that the Eagles forever stigmatized the term “country rock,” because the Heymakers are definitely country rock, emphasis on “country.” This would be just the band to see after a hard shift at the auto plant, if we had one in Austin. Carl Cooley’s voice is workmanlike and unpretentious, and Dennis Ku’s harmonies work just about right in tandem. “Uncle Darden” kicks things off, “garden” rhyming nicely with “Darden” and the rest of the song going from there. “Napoleon’s Blues” leans more towards the rock side of things, and “Automobile” is more of a midtempo shuffle. Amid the two-steps and shuffles, “Olvido” and “Reyna Es El Rey,” recruiting Lupe Sandoval for some accordion embellishments, could easily play in a Tejano club. Tim Kerr’s production puts the band front and center for a nice aural snapshot of their live sound; the paean to bad habits of all sorts “Rulin’ Me” could be a minor classic. From the rural photo on the cover to the straightforward twang of the songs, this is a surprisingly good debut.

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This article appears in February 16 • 2001.

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