Hadnot Creek - Leaving (2025)

Hadnot Creek is essentially Charlottesville, VA, singer-songwriter, Robert Sawrey, who, with a revolving cast of supporting members, has released four albums prior to his latest offering “Leaving”. All well and good, but it’s surprising to discover that Sawrey is aged 75 and only began recording as he entered retirement. Having said that, there’s no indication here of advanced age as Sawrey delivers a fine set of slightly skewed alt-country songs. They’re wiry and dust-blown with stories to match. ‘Latter Day Dude’ recalls some of the tales told on James McMutry’s latest release, while ‘I’m An Old Submariner’ rattles along quite wonderfully with some swell bar room piano as Sawrey delivers a fine rusty portrait of hard scrabble life and neighbours with guns. Much of the delight here is in the lyrics (given that Sawrey is also a published poet and short story writer), and the best here is the jail time lament ‘Mama I’m So Sorry‘.