Taking the high road to hell

With the release of the double disc Straight to Hell, Hank Williams III has finally begun to realize some of the promise he showed with his first album Risin' Outlaw. The growth between that and his exponentially better second album Lovesick, Broke, and Driftin' is seen again as this newest release is a major leap ahead for the artist.\nThis is the first of Williams' albums to have a cohesive feel. The attention to the album's song list and overall arc has a strong affect, particularly with the album's opening track "Satan is Real, Straight to Hell," which is full of rich musical energy.\n"Country Heroes" is another noteworthy song that appears on the album. This song is from William's heart, and it shows. Absent is the country posturing usually too evident in his work. \n"Not Everybody Likes Us" is another song that's a treat to the ears. Again, real emotion pokes through, and for one of the first times in his music, an attack on the Nashville music scene is genuine. The lyric "I'm a son of a son" is particularly moving in this song and is telling of not only how Williams views himself but how others perceive him as little more than Hank Williams Sr.'s grandson. \nThe album contains two excellent covers. "Pills I Took," a song written by the Wisconsin based Country-Goth duo Those Poor Bastards, feels more genuine when sang by Williams. The other cover is "My Drinkin Problem," a fairly pedestrian cover of a typical country tune by Randy Howard. \nThe second disc is a terribly interesting concept containing a 42-minute track appropriation of several acoustic songs and miscellaneous other sounds. The biggest treat on this track is the cover of Hank Williams Sr.'s "I Could Never Be Ashamed of You."\nThe album does have several downfalls. Williams' reoccurring stereotypical "hellbilly" posturing that has been evident in each of his previous releases is still there. Each album is expected to contain at least one song trashing Nashville and (deservingly) today's country. It's when Williams pours his experiences into his songs that he's most effective. Songs like "Dick in Dixie" do well to hold him back from becoming what he could be: a true heir to his Grandfather's legacy. \nBut even these complaints don't do Williams justice. Regardless of a few painful song lyrics, Straight to Hell is a great album for fans of true country music. There's nothing Kenny Chesney about Williams and thank God for that. This album is a must have for any fans of his previous work. With any luck, he will realize the power he has to make great music, but until then what he's putting out still ain't half bad.