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Nobody can accuse Neilson Hubbard of resting on his laurels. His first solo album, 'The Slide Project' (1997) was pure power pop, his second, 'Why Men Fail' (2001) had an almost Southern Blues vibe. 'Sing Into Me' is an album made up almost entirely of ballads. Recorded at his local church, Hubbard's theme here is faith, and how it affects his daily life. The nine songs are sparse, beautifully played by an impressive roster of studio folks from the Deep South, and the lyrics are sad and longing. His words often whispered, the native-Mississippian songwriter's confessionals are at times difficult to listen to without feeling like an intruder. His closing cover of Lou Reed's Jesus, is an inspired, short, haunting interpretation that sits perfectly with the themes of the record.
From past experience we know the man can rock out with emotion, but here, alongside an absence of the falsetto that featured on those first records, Hubbard is content to bare his soul with minimal fanfare. What's next?

Torbjorn Wickman
CWAS #12 - Summer 2003

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