Plain Simple Honesty is the eighth solo album by Gothic Blues exponent Ledfoot (aka Tim Scott McConnell) and is exactly what its title suggests: a collection of brutally honest songs straight from the heart. They tell small yet powerful stories, guiding listeners through the darker corners of the human psyche where setbacks are constant, yet his characters endure despite it all.
The themes explored on the album feel especially relevant in the unpredictable and often dark present, with the title track and songs such as new single ‘Hard Times’ painting an unsettlingly accurate picture of everyday life for many in 2025. “About forty years ago, I wrote a song called ‘High Hopes’ about being working class and trying to stay optimistic despite hard times,” says Ledfoot. “The hard times haven’t diminished….but maybe some of the optimism has.”
‘High Hopes’ has a famous back story, first released on the Tim Scott McConnell solo album High Lonesome Sound (1987), and then again on the 1990 debut album by his band The Havalinas, before Bruce Springsteen later released several versions of it, most notably as the title track of a solo album issued in 2014.
Listen to ‘Hard Times’ here:
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Aural Aggravation 