Carl Hauck: Music is where he belongs
Watching my first “live” Carl Hauck performance, a Youtube video of his January WEFT appearance, was somewhat of a shock. I would have never pegged singer/songwriter Carl Hauck as a twenty-something. I would never have expected the young face, the collegiate threads, the youthful humility. What I did expect is the ease with which Hauck cradles his guitar, the smoothness with which his fingers pluck at the strings, dancing back and forth with naturalness that suggests that music is where Hauck belongs.
Hauck is a recent University of Illinois grad, now living in Chicago, already with years of songwriting under his belt. With the richness and eloquence of Windjammer, his upcoming album, to be released this Friday at Mike n’ Molly’s, Hauck impresses with his artful lyricism and thoughtful composition. Hauck makes sparse, emotional folk accented with elegant horns and strings. While he never strays far from his pensive, patient approach, Hauck’s honest songwriting and attention to detail bring his music from simple folk into something intensely personal, both soothing and heart-wrenching.
Windjammer opens with “Martial Riesling”, a delicate, finger-plucked melody that strums along with the lilt of an Andrew Bird piece, with Tricia Scully’s soft, lovely voice echoing Hauck’s. One immediate strength of Windjammer is its obviously well-chosen cast of supporting characters, including Santah’s Otto Stuparitz and Steve Plock, Good Night and Good Morning’s Pat Elifritz, and Butterfly Assassins’ Bryan Kveton. From the saxophone in “Coffee on the Rocks” to vibraphone in “Rooster” and supporting vocals scattered throughout, each layer of sound is carefully woven in, preserving Hauck’s never-heavy-handed style.
The title track showcases Hauck the storyteller, bringing vividness to every sense with a few simple phrases — “splinters burrow in a hasty step”, “a search at dusk for a shoestring”. Rich cello weaves in and out of the fragmented images, a story told in remembered bits and pieces. “Coming Away” is the only song that has what can truly be called a beat, with drums leading Hauck off into warm nostalgia and electric guitar and bass pairing with piano to create Windjammer’s most upbeat track.
The second half the album returns Hauck to the quiet, slow-paced finger-picking songs he takes his time with, with “Rooster” and “Terms of Endearment” offering a delicate double-header of Hauck at his most bare. Each relies on acoustic guitar and vocals to carry the listener through, with “Rooster” eventually building to a downright lush climax of vibraphone and saxophone.
Windjammer is a worthwhile listen for fans of folk and straightforward songwriting, with enough variety to keep you coming back. While Windjammer isn’t officiall released until November 9, you can grab it tonight (Friday) at Mike n’ Molly’s. Hauck plays around 10 p.m., followed by Jesse W. Johnson and The Brothers Burn Mountain.
Stream "Marital Riesling" below
Photos by Phil Hauck
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represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
That article almost looks like something out of The Onion
Thanks! I’m looking forward to writing even more….
Yay! Love this! Welcome to the family!
that last photo’s a doozie, Chris. good work.
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Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
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Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/