The first solo album from
Jason Boesel -- drummer extraordinaire for the likes of
Rilo Kiley,
Bright Eyes, and
Conor Oberst’s
Mystic Valley Band -- finds the sideman hanging up his drumsticks, picking up the guitar, and strumming his way through 11 tracks of casual, walking-speed Americana. It’s an L.A. record through and through, influenced by California’s country-rock tradition and featuring cameos by SoCal figures like Blake Sennett, Jonathan Wilson, and longtime
Tom Petty keyboardist
Benmont Tench.
Boesel established his songwriting credentials one year before this album’s release, when a pair of his own compositions appeared on
the Mystic Valley Band’s Outer South. He’s still new to the frontman game, though, and he plays the role casually, crooning his songs in a straightforward baritone that rarely overwhelms. It may be tempting to compare these songs to those by
Boesel’s former bandmates -- he doesn’t prize the pop hook as highly as
Rilo Kiley, for example, and his lyrics lack
Bright Eyes’ studied punch -- but
Hustler’s Son does exactly what it sets out to do, which is establish a mood and keep those dusky vibes burning for 45 minutes. ~ Andrew Leahey