Tish Hinojosa possesses a sweet voice. She sings in a friendly, welcoming fashion that warmly invites one to listen. Hinojosa has had her share of personal and professional ups and downs during her 40-plus year career, but she continues to sound fresh on her latest effort, her 17th full-length album, With a Guitar & a Pen.
The Texas native sings in English and Spanish. Her songs are frequently set in the American Southwest and Mexico. The landscapes are crucial, spanning from the barren plains to mountain ranges to the magic of the moon, but the inhabitants who inhabit the regions are her primary concern—even when it’s a horse! Hinojosa writes poetically about the people and places. As the 13th offspring from a Mexican family who grew up in San Antonio, she still sees the world through a child’s eye. There’s an innocence to her observations even when the stories are serious. Whether she’s relating the story of a heart transplant or telling her personal history, these tales are tempered by reflection so that the bad doesn’t seem so bad in terms of the larger picture.
Several of Hinojosa’s self-penned compositions are happy, even joyous. That’s especially true of the three Spanish-language titles: “Luna Traviesa (Mischievous Moon)”, “Flores En El Jardin (Flowers in a Garden)” and “Canto De La Montana (Song of the Mountain)”. Bob Dylan once famously wrote that “Spanish is the Loving Tongue”. Hinojosa provides ample evidence for this in the way she lovingly wraps her voice around the accented syllables and lilting phrases.
Long-time friend and collaborator Marvin Dykhuis produced the record. The multi-instrumentalist also contributes his talents on guitars, mandolin, bass, percussion, ukulele, and bajo sexto. She’s also backed by a combo of Austin, Texas, musicians that include Chip Dolan on piano and accordion, pedal steel player Marty Muse, violinist Warren Hood, drummer Rick Richards, and Spider McKenzie on harmonica. Nine of the ten songs are original, except Austin legend Blaze Foley’s “If I Could Only Fly”. Hinojosa’s rendition highlights the tune’s haunting spirit of loneliness. Her voice aches when she warbles the word “I” in the track’s chorus to emphasize her desolate feelings.
That song is the exception in its gloom. With a Guitar & A Pen offers an optimistic perspective on the past, present, and future. For example, the “Wild, Wild West” may not be what it used to be, but much is still left to explore and enjoy. She presumes that god is still smiling at their creation. Hinojosa is no Pollyanna. The singer-songwriter knows that life is uncertain. But as she notes in “His Cowboy Way”, that makes the presence of love even more meaningful.
As an artist, Tish Hinojosa understands the importance of perspective. Her lyrics show us how to look at life from more than one side, knowing that we are happier if we search for the good instead of dwelling on the negative. The record’s title refers to her musical and writing utensils. These give her the impetus to create, but her charming voice offers the best reason to listen.