Gary Higgins
Seconds
Release Date: Sep 29, 2009
Genre(s): Rock, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record label: Drag City
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Album Review: Seconds by Gary Higgins
Satisfactory, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
The set opens with "Demons," a nakedly confessional song though it's dedicated to a friend. Higgins is singing about the toll of substance abuse, particularly alcohol and its self-deceptive qualities. Three acoustic guitars playing in different cadences, a bass, and keyboards (sounding alternately like an organ and a harpsichord) carry Higgins' delicate, slightly raspy baritone in waves to the listener.
Based on rating 6.0/10
On the whole, reissues are reseved for obvious classics, and often come off as unnecessary or overdone. But that wasn't the came with Gary Higgins's Red Hash, the hidden '70s gem that Drag City unearthed back in 2005. The album became a surprise hit for the label, and got Higgins back out on the road and writing. And the result of this rebirth is his new album, Seconds.
Based on rating 3.2/10
Connecticut songwriter Gary Higgins was arrested in the early 1970s on "very, very serious" charges for drugs. He served a few months in prison. After his release, he found a job, got married, and raised a family. But before he went to jail, Higgins made the album Red Hash on a shoestring budget during a 40-hour marathon recording session.