Here's to Taking It Easy

The fifth Phosphorescent album, a full-band country-rock record built around life on the road.
Phosphorescent, 2010

Released: 11 May 2010
Label: Dead Oceans

Here's to Taking It Easy is Phosphorescent's fifth full-length and his third on Dead Oceans. It was released on 11 May 2010. Pitchfork's Joshua Love called it by far the most conventional music Houck had made, after the Willie Nelson tribute To Willie, and said the band played its beer-soaked country-rock with fullness, commitment and chops.

Love picked The Mermaid Parade as the runaway best song, with a narrator wandering Coney Island after a broken marriage, and compared the closing Los Angeles to Neil Young's guitar work. Jon Natchez plays horns on the opener, Heather McIntosh plays cello on We'll Be Here Soon, and Houck recorded and mixed most of the record himself, with Stuart Sikes co-mixing four tracks and Alex Lipsen recording basic drums and lead guitar.

Track listing

It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're from Alabama)4:28
Nothing Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly)4:49
We'll Be Here Soon3:17
The Mermaid Parade4:22
I Don't Care if There's Cursing4:55
Tell Me Baby (Have You Had Enough)4:37
Hej, Me I'm Light4:38
Heaven, Sittin' Down4:26
Los Angeles8:48

Personnel

Matthew Houck vocals, guitar, organ, percussion, recording, mixing
Jeffrey Bailey bass
Christopher Marine drums
Jesse Ainslie electric and lead guitar
Ricky Ray Jackson pedal steel
Scott Stapleton piano, organ
Jon Natchez horns (It's Hard to Be Humble)
Heather McIntosh cello (We'll Be Here Soon)
Alex Lipsen recording (basic drums and lead guitar)
Stuart Sikes mixing (The Mermaid Parade, I Don't Care if There's Cursing, Heaven, Sittin' Down, Los Angeles)

More from Phosphorescent

Aw Come Aw Wry (2005), Pride (2007), To Willie (2009), Muchacho (2013), C'est La Vie (2018), Revelator (2024)

Sources

Here's to Taking It Easy, Wikipedia
Phosphorescent: Here's to Taking It Easy, Pitchfork (2010-05-12)
Phosphorescent: Here's to Taking It Easy (master release), Discogs