Hazlett, last night you mentioned that you missed me.

      It's quite challenging to know where to start with an album like this. ‘last night you said you missed me’ appears to be an album that requires something profound and significant – and it certainly delivers that.

      The initial moments are purely atmospheric: a richly Country & Western lead guitar riff plays in the background, softly twangy and lingering like a shared memory between old friends. This is ‘doing my best’. I will undoubtedly use many adjectives early in my description of the song, but it’s unavoidable: hazy, intimate, featuring a drifting, ethereal vocal that flows like a river between softly struck drums and connected by repetitions of that guitar motif.

      In the notes that accompany the release, Hazlett discusses growth and change, expressing his understanding that remaining the same can lack authenticity. He has made a conscious choice to permit himself to evolve, embracing the vulnerability that comes with that journey, despite the pain it may sometimes bring. There is certainly vulnerability present — in that first gently unfolding track and throughout the entire album.

      Though the record is generally soft and subdued, it has a distinct flow, with the song titles acting as markers. Alongside Hazlett, we move from those initial hesitant notes to the more defined ‘blue jean’, which features a sudden shift in tempo and intensity into an almost rocking country song, followed by the more structured ‘mountain of a memory’.

      ‘queen of the season’ feels like a moment to catch one’s breath, with a strummed acoustic guitar taking more prominence. This theme continues into ‘fast like you’, which begins to expand further — showcasing artistry through proficient finger-picking of guitar strings. The song ends decisively, and Hazlett chooses to introduce a pause before the second half of the album resumes the narrative.

      ‘tell me something’ stands out as a noticeably punchier track within the Hazlett arc, progressing at a quicker pace with fuller instrumentation. It is followed by the album's title track, where the echoing slide guitar offers a silvery reflection of the album's opening notes before the song enters a vast expanse, even as Hazlett’s vocal seems to lift higher.

      Following that, the softly muted and laid-back ‘february’ opens a trio of songs that lead us gently toward a final soft landing. ‘i don’t want your garden’ sparkles with one of the album’s most melodically beautiful chord progressions before ‘lasso song’ ultimately hints at a bittersweet departure: “Throw your lasso ’round me, next time I leave…”

      There are inevitably similarities between this album and Hazlett’s 2023 debut ‘Bloom Mountain’, as well as his dual-EP ‘Goodbye to the Valley Low’, released last year. Hazlett remains true to himself, and his unique personality serves as an essential link between his works. However, this new project features distinctive elements, snippets of revealing poetry (“I’m the ghost that never made it home” / “Everything means nothing ‘til it goes away” …), subtle variations in timbre and energy, which have been ever so slightly elevated. It’s subtle; listening with dedication is required, but that commitment will yield rewards. There’s a sense of comfort found here — the comfort of shared human connection.

      8/10

      Words: Phil Taylor