Hurry Home Early kicks off with "Splendid Isolation" by Phil Cody. Cody doesn't just capture Warren Zevon's spirit. He does a pretty good job imitating Zevon's voice. "Splendid Isolation" is followed by "I'll Slow You Down," which captures Warren Zevon's tendency toward self-denigration as well as any song in his catalog."Desperados Under the Eaves" is beautifully done by Last Train Home. It's not only reminiscent of Zevon himself but also of The Band. This song is followed by another beautiful song: Rachel Stamp's version of "Carmelita." Rachel Stamp has a wonderful voice and this song is spectacular.
The attention-grabber on this album is the previously unreleased "Warm Rain" performed by Jordan Zevon and Simone Stevens, who sounds a bit like Lucinda Williams. This song displays not only Simone Stevens's voice but also Warren Zevon's skills as a poet.
There is not a bad song on this disc. To be honest, I think that says as much about the songwriting of Warren Zevon as it does about the performers on this disc. And I don't say that as a slight to any of the artists on this disc because they all do a tremendous job representing the art of Zevon's storytelling and songwriting abilities. It's hard to pick a favorite because every song is so solid but I'd have to say that "Mr. Bad Example," Desperados Under the Eaves," "Life'll Kill Ya" and "Carmelita" really stand out to me.
Hurry Home Early is refreshing because it's not just a collection of pop-"punk" bands called on to give their interpretations of Warren Zevon's songs. The artists on this album did a great job capturing the darkly humorous spirit of Warren Zevon. And thankfully, there is no gratuitous inclusion of "Werewolves of London." Not that it's a bad song, mind you, but Warren Zevon has so many other songs under his belt. It's nice to see them explored. Listen to this album and you will understand that a truly unique talent was lost when Warren Zevon passed away.
