Patterson Hood Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams LP

Patterson Hood's first solo record in over a decade was born out of a friendship with producer Chris Funk (The Decemberists). The pair would often perform together for fun and during Hood's solo tours, making far-off plans to make a record together. They eventually went into Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon. Many of the songs were composed on piano marking a bigger departure from his work with Drive-By Truckers than prior solo efforts. Guest appearances from: Waxahatchee, Wednesday and Lydia Loveless.

These stories feel personal, almost confessional, in a way that's very different from Hood's storytelling in the DBT's, and the music is even more of a departure. Exploding Trees was produced by Chris Funk of the Decemberists, and the sound of the album is cooler and more self-consciously artful than Hood's previous solo work. The album also features an impressive team of guest stars, including Lydia Loveless, Wednesday, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, and it's the most carefully crafted and cohesive solo effort Hood has released to date... it confirms Patterson Hood is capable of more than he's created with the Drive-By Truckers, great as they are, and it's a pleasure to hear him challenge himself with such impressive results.