Press for The Vanishing Season
From Stephen Marion, author of Hollow Ground (Algonquin/Picador)
What makes the album so good is the way the songs all take different tacks on a central theme, which is the fleetingness of the present - with all its goodness and sweetness - and the certainty of destruction, set against the individual's determination to find them anyhow and no matter what (see "One More Song" or "Go Down Swinging"). The title song captures this beautifully. There's also more than a nod to the sting of betrayal, something that lingered around on "The New World" as well. What's more, there's always an interesting friction between the lyrics and the melodies. "My Destination," for instance, has a real folky, almost campfire kind of feeling - it's filled with hopefulness - but as it fades the listener is left to realize that there's nothing at all concrete about the "destination." And it's a long, long way from here, too.
From Americana-UK (England):
The ten original compositions here range from high energy rock to contemplative acoustic pieces, and although a contemporary pop/rock feel is in evidence much of the time, the American pop tradition of the 50s and 60s and the spirit of Ricky Nelson and Bobby Vee are never too far from the surface. Hill is responsible for just about everything from vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and various percussive devices through to co-production. Overall, the songs and performances are convincing, and the worst it gets is competent. The whimsical 3/4 feel of the title track, the lilting, laid-back acoustic country groove of "My Destination", and the outstanding "The Evening Land" (with two contrasting versions - fast/rocky, and mellow/mid-tempo acoustic) are all impressive, and showcase Hill's talents as composer and performer to good effect. Well worth a listen. JH
From Hanx (The Netherlands):
(Translated from Dutch)
Four different times I had to open the CD case and look at the credits, only to see that all the songs here really were written by Michael Hill. "One More Song," The Vanishing Season's opener, sounds as classic as anything from the top 200, as though it could have been a huge hit for an artist whose name you can't remember. And it doesn't stop there. Hill, who has played with Slobberbone, pulls it off more than once. At the fourth number, "Word Gets Around," I began to feel that same sense of recognition. Haven't I heard this song on a big radio station or sung along to it in a large stadium as I stood watching a million-seller? The answer is no but, given the classic sound of these songs, I find it hard to believe. Hill writes twangy pop/rockers as well as Steve Earle (after Guitar Town and before detox), and "One More Song" and "Word Gets Around" are highlights of this fine collection. (Patrick Donders)
From Rootstime (Belgium):
(Translated from Dutch)
. . . With our heads already in the clouds over his previous work, Hill has returned here at the end of 2005 with a marvelous new album. Between longtime collaborators Nancy K. Dillon (vocals) and Dylan Rieck (cello) and newcomers Teo Benson (violin) and Jim King (drums), Hill has surrounded himself with a group of excellent musicians and, alternating between Seattle and Texas, has come up with a near-perfect mix of alt.country tunes full of beautiful lyrics, roots and rock . . . On this album, Hill simply plays his best cards . . . 4 & 1/2 stars (SWA)
From Being There (Texas):
The first thing I noticed about Michael Hill's CD The Vanishing Season when I put it into my computer is that I had to type in all of the track names myself. But just because iTunes doesn't know Michael Hill doesn't mean you shouldn't. This Wisconsin native turned Texan singer/songwriter started working in the alt.country genre in Texas as the lead guitar slinger for Slobberbone and as the main songsmith for 12LB.TEST.
When he relocated in 2000 to the songwriting Mecca of Seattle, Washington, Hill put down his electric Paul Reed Smith guitar in favor of an acoustic Martin and wandered into solo acoustic performances in its many coffee houses. A couple of albums followed this exploration. While I suppose that every songwriter needs to stretch a bit, it is good to hear Michael Hill return to the world of upbeat tempos and drums. Happily, his 10-track CD The Vanishing Season is a rocker worthy of his Texas alt.country roots.
Hill crafts his songs by playing pretty much everything with strings. What he can't do himself, he farms out to capable players. Nancy Dillon adds tight, ethereal Emmylou Harris harmonies to most selections while Dylan Rieck adds cello to some tracks, most notably "Word Gets Around" in which his cello sound approaches that of a slide guitar. Tight, no-nonsense drums are played Jim King, who also co-produced the record.
Hill's experiences with pain and loss are present in almost every track. "Fair Weather Friend" laments promises not fulfilled and minor-key "Batten Down the Hatches" warns of trouble in the future. While pain and loss are not necessarily original themes, Hill has a way of putting two meanings into one song. For example, the ballad "Until You Gave the World to Me" could be seen as a love letter to a spouse or girlfriend. However, a closer listen reveals that it is a message of love from a father to a child. Hill also struggles with his own muse in "One More Song" in which he wonders if he should continue working for fame and success in the music business.
Fans of Steve Earle will recognize his influences on Hill's "The Evening Land" which could have been an outtake from Earle's Jerusalem. "The Evening Land" is probably the strongest track on the record because it brings all the elements of the record together. Hill's country-guitar curly-q licks and Dillon's smoky backing vocals are ever present in this up-tempo tune.
The most surprising song on the disc is the country-gospel "My Destination." This simple tune proves that underneath Hill's cynicism and self-doubt is a layer of hope and faith. Nancy Dillon appears to sing a verse and add harmony. It is fitting that this selection ends the CD. It is as if Hill wants the listener to know that his musical trip is as important as the final destination. (Michael Alves)
From Ctrl.Alt.Country (Belgium):
(Translated from Dutch)
. . . Here in the good company of Nancy K. Dillon (vocals), Dylan Rieck (cello), Teo Benson (violin) and Jim King (drums), Hill continues to use the alt.country sound as a base of operations, but also lets (roots) rock and pop play an increasingly more important role. On the striking opener "One More Song," for example, one can hear echoes of the Monkees and Badfinger, while the next song, "The Evening Land," is an impressive twang rocker. The melancholic "Fair Weather Friend" is the kind of ballad the Everly Brothers could croon until the end of time, and "Word Gets Around" darts nervously between roots rock and power pop. "Until You Gave the World to Me" is a dream of roots-pop sleeper, while the witty "Go Down Swinging" finds Hill in the same vein as Tom Petty. The title number, "The Vanishing Season," is stripped-down and sedately acoustic, and "My Destination" is a folk- and gospel-infused duet sung with Nancy K. Dillon. Enough already - simply a very good album!
From Rootshighway (Italy):
(Translated from Italian)
. . . Produced and recorded with Jim King (who also plays drums) over twelve months between Seattle and Dallas, The Vanishing Season represents for Michael Hill something of a gamble, a disc a great deal more complex than its predecessors, with quite a few ambitions in mind . . . distinguishes it from the vast majority of Americana offerings . . . (Fabio Cerbone)
From Il Popolo del Blues (Italy):
(Translated from Italian)
Having been a member of the first formation of Slobberbone and, after that, 12lb.Test, Texan Michael Hill arrives at a new chapter of his solo career following the 2004 release of The New World, an acoustic disc characterized by a rich vein of songcraft. The Vanishing Season, his new disc, signifies a somewhat radical change in Hill's artistic life with its abandonment of softer alt.country in favor of louder country rock, perhaps reflecting the relocation from his native Denton to Seattle. Produced with Jim King, The Vanishing Season reveals itself to be an enjoyable disc that ranges from the striking melodies of "One More Song," whose deceptively simple melodic turns lend it a particular complexity, to the urgent roots rock of "The Evening Land" and "Go Down Swinging" to hushed, melodic ballads to the pop shades of "Word Gets Around," which features some standout cello work from Dylan Rieck. In the end, however, it is the more acoustic-oriented pieces, such as the title track, "Fair Weather Friend" and "My Destination" - this last one featuring Nancy K. Dillon on second voice, that leave little doubt as to Hill's hopes for the future. (Salvatore Esposito)