(American Beat Recordings)

http://www.myspace.com/americanbeat

Despite their unwieldy moniker and the unlikely title given this career compendium, I See Hawks in L.A. recall that early golden era of alt-country crossover, which found roots rock trailblazers seem insurgent by nature, in ways Steve Earle and Bare Jr. might never understand.  Likewise, if their name seems to suggest a certain ecological ethos, there's good reason there too.  By re-furrowing familiar terrain, they continue to cloak themselves in the hippie cowboy persona of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the New Riders of the Purple Sage, with the waft of incense and ganja appearing all but palpable. 

It's a fortunate occurrence then that Shoulda Been Gold succinctly sums things up to date by plucking a generous sampling of material from three earlier albums, adding a nice selection of previously unreleased tracks and then upping the ante with three songs specially recorded for this compilation.  Happily too, the collection holds together remarkably well despite the disparate sources.  With a predisposition towards ragged down-home narratives, entries like "Byrd from West Virginia" (an unexpected homage to the South's long-serving senator, rather than the overriding influence of McGuinn, Crosby, Clark or Hillman) and the patchouli ballad "Raised By Hippies" rekindle a sense of time and place as filtered through ‘60s sensibilities.  Swaying pedal steel, an occasional fiddle, haphazard harmonies and idyllic imagery color the rest, creating a narrow divide between bittersweet ballads like "Bossier City," more determined fare such as  "Humboldt" and the rollicking jubilation of "Sexy Vacation," "Texarkanada" and "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet." 

As a result Shoulda Been Gold becomes all the more precious, enabling the Hawks to embrace Byrd watchers, cosmic cowboys and Panama Red-blooded enthusiasts overall.

Standout Tracks: "Sexy Vacation," "Raised By Hippies," "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet" LEE ZIMMERMAN