CD Review - Hal Ketchum

Hal Ketchum
Father Time
Curb Records

Hal Ketchum made his name in the early 1990s with catchy songs that bordered between mainstream country and adult contemporary. “Past the Point of Rescue,” “I Know Where Love Lives” and “Small Town Saturday Night” were mainstays on country radio and music video channels. Although his work has not been in the limelight as much since then, Ketchum has continued recording with Curb Records, maintained a loyal fan case, and achieved critical success. Father Time balances between the deep, introspective musings always apparent in many of his songs, with a sometimes bluesy feel. He is still true to his country and folk roots, although Americana would be a better genre to classify Father Time rather than country, which in today’s musical world implies a lot of commercial claptrap as opposed to a more intelligent singer/songwriter milieu. Most of the songs are written by Ketchum himself (with the exception of “Jersey Girl”, a Tom Waits cover), with some older material he decided to finally record. He writes about love, every day life, and also has a knack for telling stories through songs, like Richard Shindell. Father Time is a very appealing album for into singer/songwriters who go off the beaten path. ~ Paula E. Kirman