Keith Hallett hints at forthcoming full length with new single, Hands in My Pocket.
Matt Carter
You know what the world needs? More Keith Hallett, more often.
I was talking to someone a few weeks back who told me their favourite artist to see at Harvest each year is Keith Hallett, to which I responded with a resounding, “Me too!” Sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not alone, ya know? And it’s true. Like a lot of us, I’ve enjoyed plenty of great shows over the years but it seems few artists can fulfill my musical needs and wants better than Hanwell Road’s finest – Mr. Keith Hallett.
Over the past several months, Hallett has been holed up in his home studio chipping away at a new solo album. It’s been nine long years since his last album Hell West & Crooked came out. That’s way too long. WTF Keith?
In that time I’ve come to think of Hallett as having transcended traditional music making in a sense. While he has remained one of my go-to musicians – the kind you go out of your way to see whenever possible – and has consistently been a festival highlight for me for well over a decade at this point, Hallett has very few releases to his name. Think about it. Twenty years (?) of playing music at this point and he has just a pair of albums, a 7” single, and a few extra songs to his credit. Yet somehow he always seems fresh and new, leaving us all with little time to wonder when the next album is coming. That’s like….cult leader status, or something. And he remains as powerful as ever, every single time he steps on stage. WTF Keith?
I started writing this as a short introduction to his new single but got a little sidetracked. Can you tell I’m excited???
Hands in My Pocket is fresh Hallett for the masses and falls in line with everything we have come to expect from this living legend-in-the-making. Moving at a lazy, bent out of shape pace not unlike that rusted rimmed bicycle you had as a kid, Hands in My Pocket delivers a fresh take on an unshakable foundation as Hallett belts out a rolling rant on poverty, politics, and the price of macaroni that highlights our shared struggles and frustrations with the cost of living. An anthem for challenging times, Hands in My Pocket is a great reminder of Hallett’s ability to hit a bullseye with every shot. WTF Keith?
