The latest offering from soulful crooner Micah P. Hinson is by no means easy going. The highs are dizzying, the lows are heart-breaking and despite a few unimpressive moments, this album shows that Hinson has still got it. A double volume of covers, predominately from the '50s and '60s, allows Hinson to bring the audience into his smoky backroom and regale them with stories told numerous times before, adding his own gravelly-voiced signature.

Though the first disc begins with a rather uninspired version of Pedro the Lions' “Slow and Steady Wins the Race,” it is a track which will certainly delight the hardcore Hinson fans out there, and admittedly it is a track that inexplicably grows on you. Fans of Bob Dylan will enjoy Hinson’s cover of “The Times Are A-Changin,” if only because it completely mirrors the original. Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” also fails to show Hinson’s real talent. But the talent is there and is impossible to ignore on tracks such as “Not Forever Now,” and “We Almost Had A Baby,” the latter of which is one of the most emotionally raw performances seen across the two discs. The closing track for Disc One is perhaps a nod to both critics and fans; Hinson has put his soul into this record, and like ol’ Blue Eyes he is proud to say “I did it my way.”

The second disc kicks off with a musical interlude, Hinson’s own version of “Sleepwalk,” by Santo and Johnny. This gently leads the listener into Roy Orbison’s “Running Scared.” Again, this track is not necessarily an amazing piece of music, but it will get under your skin in the best possible way. As Hinson croons his way through the second disc it is as hit and miss as the first. “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice,” and “In The Pines,” both employ massive distortion in order to create Hinson’s vision, though it is a vision not easily understood. Hinson then does a complete 360 to deliver a simple, clean, extremely baritone take on Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”. The final track of the disc, and the album, brings together the best of all elements. Hinson’s version of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” perfectly exemplifies the entire album. Strange and enchanting, while you may not always enjoy it, Hinson has a knack for drawing you in, either with chimes or disembodied distortions.

For much of the album Hinson does not rework or reimagine the song, he simply covers it. Whilst this will please many listeners, many will also be left wanting more. It is an album which needs to be judged on a track by track basis, and this is one of the things which makes for such complicated listening. One song does not define another, and your ears must constantly be ready to hear a new message and appreciate a different perspective. This is definitely an album which deserves a second listen, though it may take many more to appreciate all the nuances and subtleties which Hinson has strived for. Despite this, is it certainly an album which screams of raw honesty and emotion, and it is this which carries the album through the duller moments.

Review Score: 7/10