Nathan Hamilton's first album in 2000 was undoubtedly Texas-roots country, but the soulful songwriter's fourth CD titled Six Black Birds has shifted into the rock realm.

“I did actually tell the band ‘No twang' on the first day in the studio,” Hamilton said. “ I knew that I would be drawing a line in the sand for many people with this record. If you listen to it back-to-back with my first record Tuscola, then it sounds like a drastic shift. However, for those who have been coming to the live shows in the last few years, they should not be too surprised.”

The album was released Feb. 27 but feted at a March party at Casbeers. It is Hamilton's first studio album in five years.
While satisfying the urge for something new, the album still is classic Hamilton with his deep and reflective songwriting. The  CD has the insightful and vivid lyrics that Hamilton is known for — such as “While they're offering you riches/they'll be stealing your ass blind” from “Teeth” — coupled with the raw, aggressive sound of his band, No Deal.

Hamilton, an Austin native, swings between a country sound with the folk tunes he is known for when playing solo and a heavier or indie rock feel when he's with the band.

“Musically and sonically, I was partly drawing on earlier influences and bands I was listening to in high school like the Teardrop Explodes, the Replacements and the Commotions. I also have been influenced a lot in the last few years by many of the Euro-pop bands like the Frames, Radiohead and Elbow,” he said.
 
Hamilton also credits influences from his band members — all of whom have played in punk bands — and called this album “a natural progression and not a calculated choice.”

The title track is commanding and abrupt, and is reflective of the entire album that Hamilton calls a “slow burn.”

“Frame to Finish” shows the softer side of the album. A slower love song, it shows the range of Hamilton's writing ability while offering up smooth, but not weak, harmonies and accompaniments.

With Billy Brent Malkus's guitar riffs and Hamilton's powerful lyrics, “Burn” is like a call to arms, protesting corporate America.

The album wraps up with the lone acoustic track “Hanging On,” a slow, rhythmic ballad played solo but as rich as the other nine songs.

With Six Black Birds, Hamilton shows, he's grown more complex and evolved as a singer and songwriter. He this album is his most personal.

“.‘The Cut' is probably the most personal song I have ever written. Many times in a song, even if I am singing in first person, it is still about someone else. In that one, I am not hiding behind a character at all,” Hamilton said.

Nathan Hamilton performs Sunday afternoons at Opal Divine's in Austin (Penn Field location, 3601 S. Congress Ave.). Visit wwwnathanhamilton.com for more information and tour dates.

Amanda Reimherr | Contributor