Album Review – Jason Hawk Harris – “Thin Places”

With an uncommon thoughtfulness and an ear for composition, the classically-trained Jason Hawk Harris takes the concept of country music and sees how far he can expand it with his new album Thin Places. A true song cycle that unfolds in a linear fashion, the album was inspired in large measure by the death of his mother along with other calamities, and delves deep into the concept of mortality, exploring the depths and contours of grief.
Harris has been one of country music’s most interesting performers from the start of his promising, but somewhat snake bit career. The pandemic took away his ability to tour behind his debut album Love & The Dark. A tornado struck when he was trying to make this followup. His label Bloodshot Records went under, leaving him without a musical home for a while. But he gathered all this adversity and turned it into the real world inspiration for the nine songs of Thin Places.
Harris doesn’t make it especially easy for a wide audience to warm up to this work. The opening song “Jordan And The Nile” is a gorgeous and immersive musical movement, if somewhat fey in how it combines string arrangements with a Gospel-esque approach. This is followed up with the slightly sarcastic “Bring Out the Lillies,” whose cheery island beat and Easter backdrop contrast with the the dour news of his mother’s passing. Jason Hawk Harris challenges the listener to calibrate their brain to an unintuitive collaboration of influences and genres from the jump.
But from there, much of the album presents itself in a manner that is more easy to digest, and a measure more country. Steel guitar is very present through the heart of the record, while Harris works through the hard emotional moments and unsettled brain space following a close and personal passing, articulating in real time the transformational effects this experience has on his perspective and psyche.

Along with the washes of steel guitar tones, the words about fighting back the darkness and finding the light make for a familiar and inviting listen for anyone that has loved and lost. Like any conceptualized work, the aim is an enveloping experience where the songs result in a sum greater than their individual parts. This is achieved as Thin Places transpires.
The strings reappear in the penultimate song “Keep Me In Your Heart For a While,” and a recurring melody first introduced in the first track is called back upon, creating the arc to go with Jason Hawk’s story that is filled with equal parts spirituality and doubt, and speaks just as much to the questions as it does the answers that life presents to us, especially in emotionally difficult times.
The final song “White Berets” comes across as a resurrection story, and evokes yet another genre when it breaks into a Cajun song for a spell. As diverse and interesting as Thin Places is, you worry some about certain moments coming across as so unexpected, it could be distracting. At the same time, tracks 3 to 6 can be selected out and enjoyed autonomously as solid country songs.
Not everyone will “get” Jason Hawk Harris and Thin Places, including some that won’t make it past track 2. But for those looking for a unique listening experience that eschews the standard approach to song and album making, this album will reel you in and get you to ponder eternal truths about death and life until you’re saying it’s one of the smartest country records of 2023.
8.1/10
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December 6, 2023 @ 9:19 am
This is one of the most sonically interesting albums i’ve ever heard. Its wild to hear such a diverse blend of genres all integrated into a strong base of classic country. Its so ambitious it can definitely distract from the words, which are great themselves. Plus the cover art is so sick. Never listened to this guy before, but he’s a capital A Artist. Need to listen more to wrap my head around it all
Jeremy pinnell’s last full length album goodbye LA rips? Yeah it does. What are you some kind of idiot
December 6, 2023 @ 3:14 pm
His previous album was PHENOMENAL. You’re in for a treat.
December 6, 2023 @ 5:44 pm
Agree with your post and the comment before mine. Love & the Dark is also soooo good. Both his albums are gold!
December 7, 2023 @ 3:21 am
Hi Jim
It’s the guy who people said I was you for praising Jeremy Pinnell – who, as we know, still rips.
You have a great taste in music. As the others have said, check out Jason Hawk Harris’ debut album as well.
Here’s to two more years of praising Goodbye L.A. – for it ripeth.
December 6, 2023 @ 10:17 am
This is my album of the year! I loved his first and couldn’t wait until he released a follow up. The wait was definitely worth it. I was surprised Jordan and the Nile was the first single released but something about it gives me chills. The accompanying video for the song is really well done too. It’s funny because I never really thought of how diverse and interesting all the arrangements, instruments, etc are , but anytime I’ve let someone else listen that’s exactly what they say “ohhh that’s really interesting” so I guess it may take some time for others to get into this album but damn it’s worth the investment. Great review Trig!
December 6, 2023 @ 12:01 pm
been wanting to check this one out for a while. Really enjoyed Love & The Dark, particularly ‘The Smoke & The Stars’ and ‘Phantom Limb’. great review
December 6, 2023 @ 12:38 pm
His voice has the “Wow factor” that makes me want to check this out, even if not all of the arrangements would be the type I would normally listen to.
December 6, 2023 @ 2:11 pm
Was glad to see this review pop up. I took a flyer on it a week or two after its release because it was featured it in the release radar and I was looking for something new, and could not stop playing it.
As Trig qualified, it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I genuinely think it was one of the most personal and brilliant records I’ve heard in a long while.
The tongue in cheek wisdom of persuasive writing suggests that “if you want to convince people, show them the bodies”. It’s hard to imagine anyone doing it better than JHH did here. Theres a lot of really personal shit couched in upbeat, bright melodies. It’s a really well constructed, but really dark album.
No other songs in any genre this year floored me the way “Roll” did. I don’t want to dive too far into it in a way that would ruin it for anyone that hasn’t heard it, but it’s hard to imagine someone bleeding more profusely over a pen and piano than he does in that stretch of “Roll”, “The Abyss”, and “I’m Getting By”.
Feel like the sequencing was an additional underrated element to this one too. Theres a story of a man struggling with grief that’s bookended with spiritualism that one might overlook on first listen. Given the subject and the medium, the runtime feels almost perfect too. JHH really nailed this one, and deserves his flowers – figuratively and literally.
December 6, 2023 @ 3:18 pm
so its a COMPLETELY different thing, but i feel the same way about Slackeye Slim’s intense Scorched Earth, Black Heart. I know the backstory behind some of the songs after meeting him here in the comments section and becoming friends (thank you Trigger!) but MAAAAN those are some personal songs about some super intense stuff (child abuse, religion , grievance kind of craziness).
I also really love Waylon Payne for writing this way.
I happen to be one of those weirdos who doesn’t like solo acoustic so I miss out on all the Americana/singer-songwriter types who write good lyrics but mostly fingerpick a guitar. So it’s always a huge treat when you get an album with that kind of personal intense songwriting but a full lush production behind it that supports the stories
December 6, 2023 @ 4:28 pm
You’ve gotten another one, Trigger! I bought it today . . . . The last one – White Berets – is killer . . . .
December 6, 2023 @ 4:46 pm
Yeah definitely a skip don’t care to hear someone trying to “expand” country.
December 6, 2023 @ 6:11 pm
OKAY DAD
December 6, 2023 @ 10:06 pm
Get ‘em! Thanks for making amazing music!
December 7, 2023 @ 6:47 am
Lol Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings did that their entire careers. I was reading this review and basically thinking this was describing many of the classic country LPs in my collection. “Country” has always been a bunch of genres jammed together. Way back when Jimmie Rodgers was working he collaborated with artists as diverse as The Carter family, Louis Armstrong and traditional Hawaiian musicians. I think it’s time to crack the history books pal!
December 7, 2023 @ 6:59 am
Like Hank Williams did?
December 6, 2023 @ 6:06 pm
Surprised this one wasn’t reviewed yet. I loved the last album and this one is phenomenal too. Most likely a top 10 album of the year for me. Not sure why this wouldn’t be anyone’s cup of tea as it’s just terrific songwriting. Definitely some gospel influences throughout.
December 7, 2023 @ 3:28 am
Glad to see this reviewed.
By far my number one AOTY, no competition even.
The arc of the album is even better on vinyl. The first 5 songs are a continuation of the narrative started in Love & The Dark (debut album), which end with an uplifting message at the end of The Abyss. You turn the slab of vinyl around and the narrative continues – more positive, but still acknowledging the struggles you face losing someone. A heartfelt thanks to the person that helped JHH through these events is added, as well as one of the most potent goodbye songs ever written (Keep Me In Your Heart For A While). This tour de force is wrapped up with a resurrection upbeat song which recalls Grandfather from the debut album. It interweaves sonic landscapes from the first track of the album Jordan And The Nile.
This album is smart, well thought out, not one track to skip and undeniable drenched in traditional country while being fresh sonically and including classical elements which anyone who knows about the history of country music should and must enjoy.
Bravo. Simply, bravo.
December 7, 2023 @ 7:33 am
Harris is one of those artists that on initial listen you’re not sure is you like it or not. Then later you hear a song from him, go back to his album and wonder why you haven’t already been listening to this. Definitely someone who requires multiple listenings before getting into the groove. This album has been the same for me. On first listen I was noticing things like the great steel work and musicianship, but no song really stood out initially. But I’m getting more into this the more I listen.
Also, don’t understand complaints about this album expanding the sounds of country music. This may not be your standard straight country album, but the backbone of this album is definitely country. In fact I’d say it sounds much more country than a large portion of popular Americana/Country music today. Maybe you didn’t get past that initial listen. Try again.
December 8, 2023 @ 6:42 am
Speaking of reviews…was there ever a review for the latest Flatland Cavalry album?
December 9, 2023 @ 9:21 am
There hasn’t been a review as of yet, and I’m only going to speak for myself here……what do you do when one of your favorite bands, who you’ve been following and rooting for for years, releases something errrr……less than stellar? You try and give it time and a few more spins to see if maybe (like Jason’s album here) I’m missing something? I thought Countryland was Album Of The Year quality, and I wanted this album to take them to the next level, but it just doesn’t for me. Cleto said this is the first time he’s written with outside writers, so that probably has something to do with it. I like a few songs, others not so much. If Trig does end up reviewing it, maybe I’ll throw this post in there with an updated opinion. Of course I’ll be there supporting them when they get here in January with Zach Top at Joe’s Live. They’re always great live.
And Jason, yes I’m probably older than your dad, and per Scotty above’s request I’m still spinning it trying to get it. Maybe 3rd time is a charm? I have a much more open mind than many in our age group I can assure you…….so we’ll see…..
December 8, 2023 @ 12:19 pm
Had this on repeat since reading the review – outstanding and probably my AOTY
December 9, 2023 @ 8:07 am
“Keep Me In Your Heart…” it’s worth noting is a Warren Zevon song. Jason does a great job of it.
December 14, 2023 @ 4:32 am
the only not briliant thing about this record is the Black Flag style cover. BRILLIANT.
February 2, 2024 @ 8:52 am
Hi Trigger,
Long time lurker, first time commenter!
Just want to say thanks for this review and many others – i would have never known about JHH if it weren’t for this review.
I’m going through a tough time with my ailing mother who is at end of life, and this review came at the right time. I have listened to this album, and has made me even more thankful for country music for always being there for regular folks!
Keep doing what you are doing – even though I disagree with your reviews on Kacey Musgraves ;).
February 2, 2024 @ 8:54 am
Thanks for reading!