Ray Wylie Hubbard
The Ruffian’s Misfortune (Bordello)Ray Wylie Hubbard might be bulletproof. At the age of 68 and with the release of his 16th album, the Texas outlaw can do what he wants, and The Ruffian’s Misfortune serves as proof. Still, one must wonder what a younger RWH would say about a song as juvenile as “Chick Singer, Badass Rockin’,” all slide guitar and heavy beat over a litany of female attributes including “short skirt, torn stockings.” As in his recent past, the grit and groove are all in place, but it’s the caliber of Hubbard’s subject matter that’s lacking here. He’s considered that too, in the raw dirge of set opener “All Loose Things,” as he notes, “The gods can’t save us from ourselves.” Low-key blues on the order of “Mr. Musselwhite’s Blues” and “Barefoot in Heaven” stand out because of their simplicity in production and thought. A mixed bag for the devoted. (Thu., 11pm, Holy Mountain)
This article appears in March 20 • 2015.