After What I Did Last Night, the title of
Henry Wagons' second album, bears the unmistakable remorse of a hangover -- or, at the very least, it feels as if the singer knows perfectly well that he owes an apology to somebody, possibly more than one person. Given that undercurrent of regret, it comes as a surprise that
After What I Did Last Night plays rather defiantly, with
Wagons doubling-down on his down-under Americana. He can still evoke the ghosts of
Johnny Cash and
Nick Cave -- the latter is an especially apt comparison, considering that they're both Australians enamored of gothic Americana -- but
Henry Wagons writes on a smaller scale than either and he also shows a facility for playing around with his arrangements, brightening "Santa Fe" with an '80s electro pulse, and flirting with kitsch on "Cowboy in Krakow." This mischievousness contrasts well with both his heavier tunes and his ability to slide into a soulful groove ("As Long as I Breathe"), and helps turn
After What I Did Last Night into a sharp, savvy, satisfying neo-roots record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine