#hailbound queen

[krispyweiss]

Album Review: Widespread Panic - Hailbound Queen

After nearly a decade studio silence, Widespread Panic released two albums in 2024, Hailbound Queen being the second.

And it has one stone classic - courtesy of Bloodkin - in “Trashy.” The nearly 10-minute story song is a slow burner, a track that would be at home on Panic’s 1990s output, when Bloodkin covers often graced WSP LPs, as John Bell narrates a tour through a one man’s treasure.

The the balance of the album is uneventful - a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart,” JoJo Hermann’s ode to the road that is “Blue Carousel” and the Frankensteinian “Halloweeen Face,” which finds guitarist Jimmy Herring getting his Metallica on during the outro.

Together, Queen and the preceding Snake Oil King comprise 11 songs and 70 minutes of music. The band might’ve been wise to opt for a single, 40-minute album rather than forcing fans to pick through the filler that litters both releases.

But King trumps Queen in this instance.

Today is WSP bassist Dave Schools’ 60th birthday; read Sound Bites’ appreciation here.

Grade card: Widespread Panic - Hailbound Queen - C

12/11/24

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Widespread Panic - “Halloween Face”

“Halloween Face” finds Widespread Panic in aural trick-or-treat mode.

The latest advance single from Hailbound Queen (Nov. 8) finds the modern band trying to recreate the early band on the intro; coming up with funky, mid-career-sounding breaks on the bridge; channeling Warren Zevon via JoJo Hermann’s piano and a lyrical nod to Lon Chaney in the second verse; and wearing a Metallica costume on the two-minute outro.

I’m gonna wear your face on Halloween/then you’ll be as scared as me, John Bell sings.

There’s a lot baked into “Halloween Face.” And the result is a half-baked number good for only one week of the year.

Read Sound Bites’ previous Hailbound Queen coverage here.

Grade card: Widespread Panic - “Halloween Face” - C

10/31/24

[krispyweiss]

Sound Review: Widespread Panic - “Keep Me in Your Heart”

Widespread Panic took much of the heart out of Warren Zevon’s deathbed plea when they took “Keep Me in Your Heart” into the studio.

A stab at the emotions on the WSP stage, the rendition of “Keep Me in Your Heart” that follows “Blue Carousel” and “Trashy” from Hailbound Queen (Nov. 8) is overly produced with artificially sweet backgrounds and without the weepy guitar Jimmy Herring adds to live outings.

Stick with Zevon’s original or Panic’s live take. This “Heart” is squishy.

Grade card: Widespread Panic - “Keep Me in Your Heart” - C+

9/23/24

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Widespread Panic - “Trashy”

After going nearly a decade between albums, Widespread Panic is gearing up for LP No. 2 of 2024.

The band’s cover of Bloodkin’s “Trashy” announces the Nov. 8 arrival of Hailbound Queen. At nearly 10 minutes, it’s on the one hand a strange choice for a lead single. As a powerful, slowly unrolling ballad that finds the modern band sounding as hungry and enamored with Bloodkin as ever, is also an ideal choice for lead single.

Sometimes when we’re lowdown we’re levitating, too/we’re the lucky ones, we’re trashy but we’re true, John Bell sings on the chorus.

What stands out most, however, is Jimmy Herring’s solo on the two-minute outro, on which he plays more in the style he employed with the Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends than what he generally brings to Panic.

The forthcoming LP also includes the previously released “Blue Carousel” and WSP’s take on Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart” among other cuts.

Grade card: Widespread Panic - “Trashy” - A

Read Sound Bites’ review of Snake Oil King here.

9/3/24