We are forever hearing about people who plan to make their name as a musician only to find the hill too steep to climb and so leave their artistic career for a safer income. It is more unusual to hear about someone with a long career as a bankruptcy lawyer throwing it all in to become a musician. But that is what Harry Hochman did. But, as he says himself, “Law makes people angry, and music makes them happy. I prefer it this way.”
Inside Out, his debut album, is a remarkable collection of songs, an array of sounds that range from groove-driven folk songs to upbeat country rock to more measured acoustic ballads. The titular opener sets the pace, an excellent, mid-paced country-infused piece lifted by some cool mandolin lilts and licks, courtesy of Chris Murphy. Wherever I Go is a jaunty dedication to his sonic travels and the ability to accept who you are. Caryville is a lovely story about fresh starts and hopeful futures.
There are some fantastic reference points, and the influence of the likes of Gram Parsons and Jackson Browne hangs in the air, but the album is nothing if not the product of the here and now. It may sit at the sharp end of many iconic sounds, not least that of the Laurel Canyon troubadours and the 60’s folk boom in general, but it is where Harry Hochman is going, not where he’s been, which is the real selling point.
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