Album Review – Wesley Hanna’s “Magnolia”

Traditional Country (#510) on the Country DDS.

Country music is the music of the farmer, the rancher, the blue collar, and the common working man. When a true country music artist gets up on stage, it’s not the larger-than-life aspect that makes them alluring like a pop or rock star. It’s how they’re one of us: a hard working, hardscrabble, genuine individual who just happened to make it into the spotlight to sing songs inspired by real life struggles and successes.

If a country artist does well, they might end up in the upper class. But many of our favorite country musicians are the ones who stay true to their working class roots, no matter their circumstances. Colter Wall would never have to work another day in his life if he wanted, but chooses to spend his days on the ranch anyway to stay tied to the land. That way when he does write and sing, the music comes stained and weathered with the experience of real life.

Wesley Hanna is one of these country performers who puts in his time every week working a real job in the oil industry, and then squeezes out moments to write and perform country music when he can. You couldn’t tell that by the quality of the songs, or the professionalism behind the music of his new album Magnolia. But you can definitely tell that in the way the songs come seasoned by the sweat and tears of true life experiences, and are built from his own personal biography.

Wesley Hanna certainly has the talent, skill, and voice to be a full-time musician if he chose. But if you’re paying any attention to the plight of many traditional country performers these days, the decision to pursue music often comes with a significant pay cut and personal sacrifices. Finding the balance between being a musician and a family man isn’t always easy for Wesley. As he sings in the song “The Right Thing,”

Am I supposed to be an Outlaw, am I supposed to be a saint
I wish someone would point me down the path I’m meant to take
Was I meant to be a poet, or a burnt-out corporate slave
I wonder if I’m doing the right thing.

Magnolia is certain the right thing when it comes to country music. It’s an exploration of the history of Wesley Hanna and his family rendered in traditional country style. The town of Magnolia in Texas lies north and west of Houston, and used to be far enough away to not really feel the pull of the big city. Now the city is quickly pulling Magnolia into itself like a blob, steadily eroding the reason everyone wants to move there in the first place.

Now living in the Fort Worth area, Wesley Hanna weaves the geography of his personal life into the eleven tracks of Magnolia, also making reference to the Texas coast where he’s also spent ample time in the album’s opening song “Gulf Prairie Blues”—a true blue collar anthem if there ever was one.

Hanna performs in a three-piece band with his wife Stacie Hanna on bass, and his love and devotion comes through in the songs “Forever Kind of Love” and “Unkempt Leather.” But he finds one of the most sincere and resonant moments of country heartbreak in the exquisitely-written song “Life In Three Quarter Time,” performed with revered Texas songwriter Courtney Patton.

Along with Courtney Patton’s appearance, Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly plays fiddle on the album, the legendary Lloyd Maines appears on dobro, and “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb plays guitar and mandolin, speaking to the respect Wesley Hanna has earned from his Texas music peers to pull the kind of talent together for this album produced by drummer and engineer Pat Manske. He also ends the album with a version of Charlie Robison’s song “Magnolia,” recorded in tribute.

Wesley Hannah has one of those voices born to sing traditional country music. He just happened to be born at a time when singing traditional country music is a difficult occupation to raise a family on. So instead of slagging it out in a smelly van for door deals at local honky tonks, he does country music his way on his terms so he can do the music he wants. That comes through in the moments of Magnolia.

8/10

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