LP, Feeding Tube Records, 1984 / 2021 reissue
Recorded 1981-1983
A middle-aged Snock trades in his characteristic mischievousness for a more reflective demeanor on this breezy slab of restrained country-folk, his voice sounding as honeyed as ever. Hurley’s anthropomorphic tales of Jocko and Boone are gracefully decorated by well-oiled arrangements that feel both casual and refined, including piano, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel, and warm vocal harmonies. While these early 80’s recordings seem to be his most sonically accessible, they were ironically also his rarest on wax for a long time (at least until Feeding Tube released this 2021 pressing). On first listen, Blue Navigator doesn’t seem as distinctive as his best records do; yet whenever I throw this on, I sink back in my chair, feeling content and unregretful.
Style: Outsider Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Weird Americana
Vibes: Loner, Pastoral, Casual, Breezy, Reflective, Rootsy, Warm, Aquatic, Peaceful, Mellow, Morning, Rural, Surreal, Relaxed
Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Sparse, Lyrical, Melodic, Simple
Instrumentation: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Piano, Pedal Steel, Vocal Harmonies, Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin, Bass, Drums
