Him and the Girls

Hawksley Workman's debut record, For Him and the Girls, blends beautifully penned lyrics, clanky-folk tunes and fresh-faced pop. Written, produced, and performed by Hawksley himself, For Him and the Girls paints a vivid picture of how broad the spectrum of one album can be. From the opener, "Maniacs," where yodels are swathed in distortion and guitars to "Sad House Daddy," a Beatles-esque tune penned by a pinao bar balladeer, "Tarantulove" moves like a speakeasy regular's lusty poetry while "Sweet Hallelujah" invokes the beauty of faith, the entire record is bursting with energy.