Tedd Hazard Rages With Soul In A Captivating New Album, 'Destructive Criticism'
BUZZ LA- Jan 4, 2023
- 7 min read
Hailing from Hazelton, Pennsylvania, singer-songwriter and eclectic recording artist Tedd Hazard throws us into a rag-tag, old-timey folk listening experience with his recent 17-track album, Destructive Criticism.
Tedd Hazard has spent the last decade touring the eastern side of the United States while pumping out tunes across various genres. His wide array of musical influences includes punk, folk, blues, jazz, and swing, and he is known for his honest lyrics, catchy hooks, angry delivery, and refreshing songwriting. His latest album, Destructive Criticism, is a prime example of his exceptional and entertaining musical abilities.
The album comes out blazing with the fiery introductory track, "Gatekeeper," jumping through the speakers with incredible energy. The soaring and beat-driven folk atmosphere leaves us tapping our feet while Tedd Hazard's witty lyricism and raspy delivery keep our attention locked in for the ride.
He continues this harmonica-heavy and melodic folk vibe with track number two, "Insurance Policy." While feeding us hilarious lyricism that's entertaining and relatable, Tedd Hazard puts on one hell of a performance alongside his glimmering and high-energy folk instrumentals that never fail to start a fire in our speakers.
Landing on the album's third and title track, "Destructive Criticism," Tedd Hazard continues the harmonica-laden vibe but with more of a cut-throat, heavy-hitting delivery. The rhythm gradually expands and increases into this head-bopping hellscape, melting our speakers with Tedd Hazard's ferocious delivery that stops us dead in our tracks.
When life gets "Shitty," listen to Tedd Hazard for a pick-me-up. This song tackles the theme of a friend who is a big old piece of shit. While Tedd Hazard continues telling us about this shitty friend, the sweet folk instrumentals linger in from the background to complete this wildly entertaining listening experience.
Reaching the album's fifth track, "Marquee," Tedd Hazard throws himself into rage-filled vulnerability while expressing how he wants us to like him. Don't worry, Tedd; you are one of the most entertaining acts to grace our magazine. This song weirdly reminds us of Karma Chameleon by Culture Club, but with Tedd Hazard's familiar folk rage.
Entering the sixth track, "Cancel Me," Tedd Hazard heads into familiar territory with themes of cancel culture and, frankly, how ridiculous it can get. The bluesy piano, alongside the pounding drums and rich folk instrumentals, leaves us stomping our feet and chanting CANCEL ME at the top of our lungs.
On track seven, "Nihilistic Northeast Pennsylvania," Tedd Hazard sings ye old tune of his stomping grounds alongside punchy folk-rock instrumentals and his forceful vocal flairs. It doesn't get much better than Tedd Hazard's witty lyrics and harsh delivery, keeping your attention locked from lyric to lyric.
Slowing things down a bit is track eight, "Anarchist Hotel," opening with a bluesy banjo that strums its way to our hearts. Tedd Hazard doesn't take long to switch the atmosphere completely and invite us to the "Anarchist Hotel" with his heated delivery, storytelling lyrics, and the stellar addition of a wailing electric guitar.
Landing on the album's ninth track and halfway point, "Kody," we're met with rich harmonica melodies and dreamy folk instrumentals. As Tedd Hazard's powerful vocal delivery meets our speakers, he fiercely serenades us with the relatable lyricism of two ships passing in the night, just out of reach from each other.
Bringing back the plucky banjo introduction is track ten, "House on the Hill," which quickly expands into another foot-stomping bluesy folk atmosphere. Tedd Hazard dives into necessary themes of politics in this track while staying away from the dreaded "House on the Hill" at all costs.
It's "2 AM," and Tedd Hazard is plucking away at his banjo, ramping up all the soul and power possible. The album's eleventh track looks at Tedd Hazard's late-night thoughts and motives, which see him on the road with his best friend, sleep deprivation. We're sure listeners will find a piece of themselves in this dynamic tune.
The flaming energy continues in track twelve, "Miserable Young Man," with Tedd Hazard's angry yet charismatic vocal delivery that makes us smile. In this track, he smokes the speakers alongside his upbeat folk-rock instrumentals that leave us gasping for air amid their uptempo energy. It's another solid addition to this ultra-unique album that showcases the wickedly entertaining stylings of Tedd Hazard.
The blunt lyricism is high in track number thirteen, "Blue Lights Matter," where the rich folk-rock and blues-packed instrumentals smack our speakers in dense melodies and infectious rhythms. The transition and instrumental breakdown near the outro add this dynamic layer to the song that keeps us wanting more.
And luckily, we get more. The album's fourteenth song, "2022," kicks off with downtempo banjo strums that lead into a personal portrayal of Tedd Hazard's year. While wishing it was 2010, he continues expressing the shitstorm that was 2022 while his tasteful folk instrumentals sonically serenade us with underlying emotional tones to complete the experience.
Diving into deep piano melodies is track fifteen, "Helping Hands," kicking off with mysterious piano keys and a plucky banjo that expands into a soulful and blues-ridden folk instrumental. Tedd Hazard packs a punch in this track while questioning whether his reality is deranged or if the hurtful words of these so-called "Helping Hands" are no help at all.
Reaching the album's final tracks with number sixteen, "Mercy Kill," Tedd Hazard begins closing up shop with his raspy vocals and sweet-sounding folk instrumentation. While expressing how this town isn't big enough for him and another, Tedd Hazard falls into a more emotional vocal delivery that feeds us all the emotion and personality we could ask for.
Landing on the album's spirited outro track, "Cocaine Elvis Vibes," the song's title is precisely what it sounds like. Tedd Hazard ramps up the energy to smack our speakers with his witty, all-too-real lyricism and lighthearted instrumentals. This is the perfect outro track to an album as unique and dynamic as Destructive Criticism, and we're sure any listener will agree.
It doesn't get much better than the brutal honesty, fierce vocals, folk instrumentals, and superb vibes in Tedd Hazard's hilarious, meaningful, and entertaining new album, Destructive Criticism. Find the new 17-track record on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Tedd Hazard. Congratulations on releasing your exceptional and entertaining new album, Destructive Criticism. What inspired you to create this wildly dynamic and honest record? I wanted to do something different from what I'd been hearing. Every folk punk album I've heard in the last few records has been pretty much the same formula. I'm guilty of that, too. I wanted to do something more polished but different from anything I'd ever heard. The songs touch on some personal subject matter. Not just for me but for other people as well. It deals with things like domestic assault, gaslighting, bullying, stagnation, regret, loss, alcoholism, imposter syndrome, and mental abuse. There were a lot of things that have happened to me in the last few years that I needed to articulate through my music, and I think Destructive Criticism did a really good job of that. Out of all the humorous yet serious tracks in Destructive Criticism, was there a specific theme or concept you wanted to convey to listeners? A major theme throughout the record is finally breaking out of the bubble people seem to try and keep you in. I'm not anyone's errand boy or second best. I'm my own man, and I will do the things I want to do because I know they're potential there. I know I'm an amazing songwriter. I just wish more people could see that and not write me off as a comedy act. When creating Destructive Criticism, did you have any musical or artistic influences? What or who helped you bring the album to life? I'm not 100% sure about any musical or artistic influences. I think I've been doing this for so long that I finally muddled my sound from other artists and stopped sounding like the bands I listen to. Once I started writing on the banjo, the music took on a unique style. Joe Loftus was instrumental in that. He gave the album a dark but catchy atmosphere. Without his input and talent, it wouldn't be as good as it is. What was your favorite song to create from Destructive Criticism? Which song stands out to you the most and why? My favorite song is Helping Hands. It was originally going to be a little more upbeat, but the song became something else entirely when I added the banjo-picking part. Now it's one of my favorite songs to play live. That and the title track, Destructive Criticism. The gypsy part and the breakdown help that song stand out from the rest of the pack. Another track that I think stands out the most is House on the Hill. It seems to be the most popular one of the whole album. Who would have known? A lot of the songs on this record are incredibly unique. But I think these three stand out the most. Would you say Destructive Criticism is a good place to start for new listeners introducing themself to your music? How does this album represent you? Yes, at least for the current incarnation of my music. Who knows where I'll end up next? Maybe I'll get bored with the banjo and make a rockabilly record. But this record is definitely the best representation of my music. Even though it isn't completely full band, which is what a lot of my shows these days are. It's definitely the closest thing to it. What's next for you? I'm planning two tours in 2023 and, hopefully, a full-band EP of some older songs. The Tedd Hazard Experience, the full band version of my solo project, has been working on some great arrangements of some Tedd Hazard classics. It'll only be drums, banjo, bass, and harmonica. Maybe some piano. Bare-bones stuff. We had discussed adding a guitar, but we've decided against it. I think it would just ruin our chemistry. I've also started writing some newer songs that I'm not planning to release for a long time. The two years I worked on the songs for Destructive Criticism seemed to help these songs reach their full potential, and I'm looking to repeat that process on the next album.
