RONNIE HAYWARD plays Castro’s Lounge Thursday (February 2), and every Saturday afternoon at the Dominion on Queen. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Ronnie Hayward is an underground Canadian rockabilly legend who’s been dragging his upright bass all over the country and playing in countless bands since 1982. He currently calls Toronto home, and you can catch his unique brand of authentic old-school beatnik country at local bars every week. His newest album, however, captures his Montreal quartet in 2008 and is a great introduction to his primitive backwoods flavour.
As entertaining as younger cartoonish psychobilly bands might be, there’s a more genuine menace and tension in Hayward’s stripped-down traditionalism. He doesn’t need to rock a pompadour or wear blue suede creepers, because it’s obvious after 15 seconds of listening that he’s the real deal. There’s a rich earthiness in his voice, which he doesn’t clutter up with unnecessary hiccups and yelps, and similarly, the production style sidesteps the glossy sound of acts like the Stray Cats in favour of something more timeless and raw.
Top track: Eleanora
