Album Review – Hayes Carll’s “We’re Only Human”

Country-inspired Americana (#570.2) on the Country DDS.

We’re doing this whole life thing all wrong, and it’s only getting worse. To distract ourselves from our own faults and failings, we harp and focus on the failings of others, spending our lives shaming everyone else online. And whenever someone does admit to a mistake and apologizes these days, it’s taken as a sign of weakness, and often makes the situation worse for them. And so nobody apologizes, or admits fault in anything anymore. And we forget that we’re all flawed humans.

One of the reasons the inequities we recognize in others make us so angry is because they’re often the same inequities we recognize in ourselves, but don’t want to fess up to. And one of the main reasons we refuse to forgive others is because we can’t forgive ourselves either. This leaves so many of us with unresolved guilt.

Acclaimed songwriter Hayes Carll’s new album We’re Only Human explores these revolving and often debilitating thought habits, and follows the late 40-something songwriter as he tries to chart a way out of the revolving doom cycle of thoughts where we’re incessantly passing judgement on others, and ourselves. From realizing “We’re Only Human,” to recognizing that wherever you go, you run into “Good People,” to “Making Amends” for past mistakes, they’re all steps in the process of self-betterment.

We’re Only Human is a singer/songwriter-based Americana album with some country tendencies, capturing an artist that many can still remember as the scrappy newcomer studying under the tutelage of guys like Ray Wylie Hubbard and Guy Clark, but now acts as an elder statesmen for the up-and-coming songwriters of today. When Hayes started out, it was the drunken sway of his music that drew him attention. Now it’s the self-work and sincere efforts at adulting that Carll is trying to forward.

There are still moments of vintage Hayes Carll on this album though. “Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)” doesn’t include a lot of self-help advice. It’s one of those swaying, meandering Hayes Carll songs with a waltz beat that strains to make any salient point, or to rhyme certain phrases. But that’s also what makes it strangely endearing. Though a certain level of sobriety is at least part of the Hayes Carll story these days, you’ll struggle to find a song that matches lyrics with a musical mood as well as the song “High” does.

But these tracks just feel like interludes in between the real work of We’re Only Human. With a purposeful aim of articulating the steps of how to bring yourself out of the malaise of laying blame on yourself and others, Carll weaves through this work like the travelogue of a personal journey. First you have to lay your hatred down. Hays sings in “Good People (Thank Me),”

There was a flag, there was a rally. There was a lady, there was a guy.
They picked a team, started yelling. It made them both feel sad inside.
So later on when it was over, they found each other, apologized.
And they went out, and got some supper, and fell in love to their surprise.

But this album isn’t just all about marshmallow dreams of loving yourself and others unconditionally. You first have to own up to your mistakes. “I Got Away With It” is about Hayes Carll articulating some of his lesser than fine moments. Only then can he “Make Amends” on the 9th track, leading to a downright spiritual moment where Shovels & Rope, Darrell Scott, Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi of Band of Heathens, and eventually old friend Ray Wylie Hubbard all join into sing “May I Never.”

We’re Only Human is not an album of bangers. It’s a singer/songwriter album that tries to convey something more important than mere entertainment. This also means it might also fail as entertainment for some. But the album captures an acclaimed songwriter evolving with his music, and challenging an audience to evolve with him.

8/10

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Stream/Purchase We’re Only Human