HAWKSLEY WORKMAN (last night we were) The Delicious Wolves (Isadora) grade: A

To me, Hawksley Workman is both a drug and an answer.

Workman cultivates a broad musical canvas of styles, emotions and rhetorical devices. His music is addictive and ends my search for an artist to lead us into the new millenium.

In short, Hawksley is an innovator. His voice has the ability to alter in sound and texture, sometimes emitting a bitter-sweet tenor reminiscent of the late Freddy Mercury; other times we can hear the sandpaper-toned caterwauling of Tom Waites. Such extremes only further his unique dynamic as well as kill comparisons to other mold breaking singer-songwriters like Sting, Trent Reznor, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and Iggy Pop; though his style does incorporate a specific essence from each of the above artists.

Up-tempo, industrial rock (the latest single "Striptease"), jangly, esoteric folk ("Old Bloody Orange"), blue eyed reggae ("Your Beauty Must Be Rubbing Off On Me") and dramatic broadway opuses ("Penny In My Pocket"), form the meat surrounding this brilliant piece of art.

Hawksley's lyrics are unapologetically blunt and thought provoking, painting images of naked lovers, mouths full of nails and the mist of underwater cigarettes. He is a poet and quite possibly a prophet to increasing base of fans.

Probably most impressive about Workman: he plays every instrument on the album (drums, bass, guitar, piano, vocals; you name it, he plays it), topping off his musical artistry with his brilliance as the producer of the CD as well.

Be prepared, World, this 24 year-old Torontonian is ready to pounce and change music as we know it.

Review by Zack Salsberg, 2001