Unearthed by renowned reissuers Yoga Records, Bill Madison’s “Sunday Mornin’ Hay Ride” is a simple, warm, instantly endearing collection of country-folk knockouts, circa 1973. Madison’s arrangements are gentle and rodeo-esque, an aesthetic that suits his gruffly sweet crooning and his wistful, often rural-themed lyrics. A must have for fans of the Byrds, Gram Parsons, and Neil Young.

Do stoned cowboys like this even exist anymore? If they do they're surely an endangered species, as the sort of mellow, easy going and carefree life that rural sage Bill Madison conjures on his superb 1973 country-folk LP just feels so far gone. This music isn't in any kind of a hurry, and lord knows I could luxuriate at this lazy pace all day. Sunday Mornin' Hayride is one of those albums that once you put on you're simply not in the mood for any other kind of music for fear it'd end up harshing your mellow. His vocals are slightly off in that awesome way that Michael Hurley's are, and the arrangements have a pastoral shimmery-ness that is totally spot-on. File this next to your Chris Smither, Bobby Charles, and Paul Siebel records.

-Michael Klausman (January 18, 2010)