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Reviews

Ain’t in it For my Health: Does Zach Top Top His Debut?

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The rise of Zach Top has been nothing short of incredible. Touted as the ‘next big thing in country’ by just about every big source, the anticipation and pressure on this sophomore album couldn’t be much higher. His debut album was just last year and was massive, already netting him 8.5 million monthlys on Spotify alone. So, when we got sent this through, I just had to see what it was like, even if we did sadly miss Cold Beer & Country Music. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Opener ‘Guitar’ sets the tone perfectly; being an upbeat boot-stomper. It also feels so very old-school in the best possible way, immediately giving off a modernised Brooks & Dunn vibe. The guitaring is great, and Zach’s vocals fit it perfectly, a real traditional twang to them! The chorus is at the same sort of level as the rest of the track yet still felt not only distinct, but catchy and easy to sing along to. The lyrics, while pretty standard country fair, are written very well and are incredibly believably delivered. We even get an awesome, very fitting duel guitar solo tucked away in the middle. Yeah, this whole song is amazing. It’s probably exactly what a lot of the general publics go-to sound is when they think of country, but I mean that in the best way possible! The perfect way to open, and an easy early highlight!

The great vibes continue through ‘Good Times and Tan Lines’, this time it including some fantastic fiddle for good measure! It also gives off some Buffett for sure, but that may be because of the topic. It’s another excellent chorus too, one that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come! And another incredible guitar solo bridges the gap between said choruses perfectly. It’s a simple arrangement and a short track, but another damn good one!

‘When You See Me’ slows things down a lot, giving off more of a Willie or Williams feel to it. It’s honestly incredible that someone so young has such a tight grasp of the traditional country sound! The chorus is yet again excellent, with the harmonies in it being flawless. It suddenly gives off a lot of Midland vibes too, which I can’t complain about at all! It’s a smooth, beautifully chilled-out song and another that it’s impossible not to love!

Much like with ‘Good Times…’, ‘Splitsville’ continues a similar vibe to the previous track. However, I have to say I somehow enjoy the chorus even more than the other slower track; it’s catchy as anything and incredibly well written. In fact, it’s fantastically written throughout, and is another massive personal highlight, and a track that easily makes it onto our playlist!

Songs like ‘Between the Ditches’, ‘Livin’ a Lie’, ‘I Know a Place’ and ‘She Makes’ are all slower, old-school tracks, again very much like Hank Williams Jr or Waylon Jennings or Don McLean. None are bad by any stretch, in fact ‘Livin’’ may be one of my favourite tracks on the album. However, all have a pretty similar feel and, with this being a pretty long album, I didn’t want to drone on and repeat myself over and over and make for an uninteresting read. If this sort of slower side of country is your style, I cannot recommend checking them out enough!

‘Flip Flop’ once again gives that beachy Buffett feeling in the best way possible. Also, the lyrics are absolutely fantastic, immediately reminding me of Blake Shelton. It’s a breakup/heartbreak song, but is so lighthearted and silly that it’s incredibly fun to listen to! It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a masterfully written track that somehow bridges the gap between old-school and modern perfectly. And yes, it is yet another huge highlight!

‘Tightrope’ is another bouncy, faster neo-traditional track, much like ‘Like I Want You’ and the closer. Again, all are excellent, with ‘Honky Tonk Till it Hurts’ being one of my favourite tracks on the album. But, like the slower songs, there’s a lot of music on this thing and it’s easier to clump up similar songs. All are right up my street in terms of country music, and I’d recommend them to absolutely anyone!

Single ‘South of Sanity’ is a real epic affair. It almost feels like Zach’s answer to ‘Country Boy Can Survive’, the piano and guitar working so well together, and all building towards an amazing, bigger, arena-filling chorus! The lyrics throughout the track are also the best on the album, so full of emotion in the words and delivery. It’s another traditional sounding song, but is so well put together that I’m sure almost every country fan out there will agree that this is an amazing song!

‘Country Boy Blues’ is surprisingly the most modern-sounding track, in this writers humble opinion. It reminds me a little of the likes of Randall King, which certainly isn’t a bad thing! It’s another great song that feels like a combination of a lot of the rest of the album, all of it rolled into this one three minute track. The same could kinda be said for ‘Lovin’ the Wrong Things’, even if it is again on the slower end. Both are excellent tracks that are so easy to listen to, this whole thing barely feeling like it really even has album tracks on it, wild given its length!

Overall: This is an awesome album! Right off the bat it won’t be everyone’s bag; it’s very traditional in sound and nature. However, if you are into the older style of country music, I cannot recommend checking this out enough! The modern pop sound is stripped away, as really is much of the semblance of southern rock, it’s just straight-up, working man country, and it’s awesome! It’s a damn fun listen packed full of awesome vocals, solos and writing, and went by in a flash. I’m eager for him to play over here so I can see him live, as a big country band playing a lot of this would be phenomenal.

The Score: 8.5/10

Features, Reviews

The Long Road 2025: The Big Bad Review – Day 3!

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The final day of the festival opened as equally chilled as the others with The Wranglers and Steady Habits. The former was somehow about our only trip over to the Showground of the weekend, but were a fantastic acoustic duo that could easily make it onto the Front Porch or beyond in a year or two. The latter was on said Front Porch stage, and gave similar vibes to Ferrari in that kinda acoustic indie-Americana thang. However, they brought a full band, which was great for so early on in the day on a smaller stage. They made some great music, whether it was more stripped-back, slower acoustics numbers or full-band rock tracks. Arguably, they’d have done even better with a better slot! Another band that I’d checked out a bit of beforehand but have come away loving and can’t wait for the new album!

Evan Bartels absolutely blew me away on the Interstate stage. I loved his EP when I checked it out so knew I had to head to one of his sets on the Sunday, but wasn’t expecting it to be quite that good! For one man and one guitar, the sheer sound and emotion he portrayed was insane. The man sings like he’s had 200 years of hard life experiences, and is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever seen live. Even as he just spoke between songs, and during our interview (stay tuned soon), I got lost in his words; he’s a captivating man. His set went by in a flash and he played to a pretty packed out tent, everyone being locked onto him throughout. He’s another one that got a tear or two out of me, just like the other Evan. From his incredible vocals to insane lyrics and the guitar that fits it perfectly, it was honestly phenomenal. If anyone reading this is at all into old-school, true country music, you have to check him out immediately. Another massive weekend highlight.

Our good friends These Wicked Rivers tore the roof off of Buddy’s, next. Heavy for the festival, for sure, but playing to a pretty packed out crowd non the less, Rivers owned their time on the stage. Whether it was heavier numbers like ‘Testify’ or ‘Shine On’ or more ballad-tracks like ‘When the War is Won’, the crowd ate up everything the band lay down. I’ve loved them for years, so seeing them on a bit more of an out-of-the-box stage like this and killing it is really amazing to see. The band played their asses off for the whole set, with John’s vocals sounding as great as ever and the rest of the band putting on a fantastic show. Hopefully this is the start of something awesome for the band in the country sphere, as it will help two worlds that we cover quite a lot get closer!

Alyssa Bonagura was on Buddy’s after, continuing on the Snakefarm takeover of the stage. It was another slightly heavier British artist, but slightly more on the country-pop end of things. She was another excellent set, somehow sounding exactly like she does on track live, which is an incredible feat in this sort of music. She’s another artist that could have done with a bigger platform, but also perfectly fit for the smaller, packed out crowd at Buddy’s. We’ve spent a lot of time there this year and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite stages; from the setting to the sound to the general setup, it’s all awesome. Alyssa will surely follow Kezia in becoming a massive name in the UK country scene sooner rather than later!

Erin Kinsey blew the metaphorical roof off the place on the joint at the Rhinstone stage. Flying in pretty last minute by the sounds of things, you wouldn’t have told she was in Germany earlier that day, as she sounded fantastic and had all the energy in the world. And plus, she was HEAVY, dude. And even if this wasn’t coming from a guy who’s big into rock and metal, I’d say in a good way! It helped that the stage was perfectly loud on the Sunday, but yeah, the guitars were distorted, the bass thumping and her drummer was smacking the shit out of his skins. It really set her apart from the other women around her in the scene who she could be compared to. She goes rockier on her latest album, but I wasn’t expecting it to translate this well live! ‘Matchmaker’ was a personal highlight of mine, but the set was jam packed full of awesome tracks that the crowd ate up! Hopefully she’s over here more regularly as I’d love to see her again, hopefully at her own show, soon!

I went into The White Buffalo not quite knowing what to expect, outside of a more slower, Americana-style thing similar to Uncle Lucius. What I got was not that, but was even better! There were certainly tracks like that, but there band also got dark and heavy in the best ways. It almost boarded on the heavier end of grunge, which was sick! And, on top of that, the band were full of energy, and put on one hell of a show considering it was just them and their instruments. I love how heavy the Sunday ended up, almost feeling more like a Southern rock festival than anything else, and Buffalo were definitely a highlight in amongst that. They’re another band that I would LOVE to see again, and need to ASAP.

Kim Churchill rocked the hell out of his solo performance on the Front Porch stage. Up against some steep competition on other stages, the Aussie native still drew a pretty great crowd for what again felt like a closer, more intimate gig. His voice was amazing, and the sheer amount of other stuff he had going on at the same time really filled out the sound (I’m a sucker for a harmonica). I’d be curious to see if he plays with a full band back home, and how that would sound, but for now the acoustic solo stuff was awesome, and a fitting change of pace for us on a pretty high energy day!

It was at this point that, as we got a drink, we quickly headed to check out a bit of the dog show. Watching them all getting distracted by toys instead of running to their owners was very cute!

The UK country legend Kezia Gill played to a packed out Buddy’s, completing her mission to play every stage at the festival (well, aside from the Hitching Post now). The stage was, of course, packed out, as she was definitely ‘too big’ for the setting. However, it made it even more rowdy, and almost everyone knew so much of what she was playing, and loving every minute. We were no different. Somehow this is the first time we’ve had the chance to see Kezia and it’s very easy to see why she has such a fantastic reputation: she was really great live! Rattling through some of her biggest and best songs to an adoring crowd that have watched her grow alongside the scene over the last few years. She’s a fantastic front woman and her voice more than hold up live. If I had any complaint at all, and it’s a super minor one, is that she’s very straight-forward in terms of her sound, and on a day where everything is a little out there and different, it felt almost safe. Still, that’s hardly Kezia’s fault, and she still put on a blinder of a set.

The controversial James Bay closed out the main show on the Sunday. The amount of arguments I’ve seen that he doesn’t fit the festival, that he isn’t country so he shouldn’t be there… I think he proved a lot of the haters wrong on Sunday night. Despite being sick, he still put on an utterly fantastic show, rattling through so many of his incredible hits and doing so in style. Despite not playing my favourite song of his (‘Give me the Reason’), he still hit so many amazing songs, from his hits ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Hold Back the River’ to deeper cuts like ‘Scars’ and ‘Wanderlust’. And we got an absolutely incredible extended version of ‘Best Fake Smile’, complete with an amazing extended blues solo that really blew me away, and clearly James and the band were having a blast playing it. He’s such a professional, putting on a flawless show and coming across as such a genuine, likeable guy in the process. It was an incredible headline set fitting of the festival, and if it wasn’t for the fact that Drake was also present, he would have been headliner of the year. Anyone who’s still on the fence, I cannot recommend enough seeing him live, he puts on a fantastic show and you’d definitely be won over!

Alana Springsteen was the aftershow party artist of the Sunday, and closed out the whole weekend pretty fantastically. We caught her a couple of years ago and, much like FTF, it feels like she’s grown even more as a performer in the time since she’s been away. She put on a great, all too short set of some of her best hits, and performed them all perfectly, also sounding so close to her track stuff! I hated that I missed her full set earlier on, but at least I managed to check her out here. She brought just enough energy to the proceedings this late on, getting everyone who was exhausted still dancing and partying and singing along and having fun to close out a truly fantastic evening. That’s how it’s done!

And there we have it folks, three excellent days of country, roots, blues and Americana music. It really is one of the best festivals around currently, is family friendly and still has plenty of energy and room to grow. Again, a huge thanks and congrats to Baylen the whole team for putting on such an excellent weekend. Until next year!

<- Day 2

Reviews

Famous Back Home: Russel Dickerson is Back!

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The country-pop sensation himself is back with his fourth studio album and follow-up to last year’s Bones. Coming in at the tail end of the bro-country era, he quickly established himself and has become a household name, and not just back home! We even had the privilege of seeing him at The Long Road last year, and had a blast. So, of course we wanted to give this release a full review and really sink our teeth into it!

‘Dust’ is a beautiful, chilled-out way to open the album. It perfectly sets up Russel’s sound and what he’s all about; the perfect country-pop song! A simple acoustic guitar and electric drums verse builds to an expectedly massive, catchy chorus, like Dickerson does so perfectly. The lyrics are a little cheese-country, but so well written that it’s easy to look past. It’s a simple radio-friendly pop song, but an awesome Russel Dickerson song and the perfect way to open the album!

Next up is one of the handful of singles, ‘Sippin on Top of the World’. It’s got ever so slightly more of a rock edge to it, with the acoustic drums and a great guitar lead opening things up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still about as rock as the Jonas Brothers, but it definitely has slightly more of an edge to it than the opener. The stripped-back verses lead to another huge, stadium-filling chorus. It’s easy to see why it’s such a big single already too, and was one hell a choice as one! It’s an excellent country song overall, and a very easy early highlight!

‘Happen to Me’ slows things down a little again, the guitar sound honestly giving a touch of a y’allternative vibe to it, especially with the pop-punk pre. It’s a nice change of pace for the album already that I honestly wasn’t expecting. It once again builds to another awesome, massive chorus, and immediately it’s another track that easily makes it onto our playlist.

‘Worth Your Wild’ is the most Russel Dickerson song I think I’ve ever heard, and I love it! It’s that perfect blend of country, pop and rock that he does so well, and is one of the best choruses he’s maybe ever done. It’s another that was an incredibly good choice to be a single, and has clearly done very well for him already! The lyrics here are pretty great too, and we even get a cheeky little guitar solo tucked away in the middle! It’s a strong contender for a ‘song for the rest of summer’ and is up there with one of my favourite he’s ever done, honestly.

The pace and energy chills back out massively for ‘Heard it in a Country Song’. It’s incrediblely simple in its arrangment of just some Spanish guitaring, basic electric drums and Russel’s amazing vocals. Honestly, it gives off slight Buffet vibes, but of course more modernised. Somewhere between that and Latin pop, and makes for a really interesting listen. There’s a surprising amount going on in the track too, with some piano and organ chiming in at times throughout, but it’s all so chilled it’s easy to miss. I love it as a change of pace as much as a track on its own!

Tracks like ‘Sunrise in my Silverado’, ‘For a Truck’ and ‘Love that I Love You’ are all more typical Russel songs and exactly what you’d expect from the pop-country legend at this point. All three are excellent tracks, with the latter specifically being another huge high point on the album, but there isn’t much variety through them. Still, they’re easy to listen to for sure, fit the album perfectly and are of course more beautiful love songs to his wife.

‘Never Leave’ is the ballad of the album, a stripped-back, simple, slower track that mainly focuses on Russel’s vocals, minimal instrumentation behind it. It’s a beautiful track, with the lyrics being a real focal point and being solid. And, while we’ve had slower tracks already, this again has a different feel and is another great change of pace. It’s Russel’s best vocal performance on the album, and if you like the slower stuff this is definitely one to check out!

‘Bones’ feels like a slightly cheek addition to the album, as it was the main track from his EP last year. It’s a good song and still fits onto the album pretty perfectly, but has obviously been out over a year in multiple different incarnations now. It might have been cool to have had it reworked for the album somehow, but then it may not have fit on the release so well.

’16 Me’ is another slower ballad-like song, but has a little more going on on it than ‘Never Leave’. Then, the albums title track and latest single takes us home in style, somehow feeling like a combination/culmination of most that came before. It’s on the slower end again, but that chorus is incredible, and it feels like the track builds towards it and around it perfectly. It’s another fantastic choice for a single and a really great way to close out the album, even if the last handful of songs have been on the slower side, now!

Overall: This is another really great addition to his growing discography. It feels like the man can’t put out anything bad at this point, and I’d put this up there alongside any of his other releases in terms of quality. He’s certainly not for everyone, but you know exactly what to expect heading into the album with him and he delivers every time, including here. It’s packed full of fun, catchy, emotional moments, and I’d recommend it to any country fan out there!

The Score: 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Rise Against, Chevelle and More!

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Another pretty big week of great rock, country and metal releases for us to check out. Let’s dive right in!

Rise Against: Ricochet

Between being one of my favourite bands of my youth, and one of the first reviews we did here at Overtone with their last album, it’s safe to say anticipation was pretty high on my end for this release. Especially when I saw them at Download earlier this year and they still sounded as great and as pissed off as ever. So, when I say that not only was a little disappointed by this, but it actively didn’t make me feel anything, know it sadly comes from a genuine place. Like, is it bad? No. But it is hardly up there with their previous albums. And a lot of that can actually be put on the shoulders of the production. The mix and effect on Tim’s vocals are horrible, and the main reason for the sour taste left in my mouth from this album. It feels like an MJK ‘my voice is another instrument’ type idea as it’s so far back in the mix, but it really just makes it hard to hear and focus on the lyrics properly, a real highlight of their music, usually. Honestly, it makes it sound like a demo, not a final recording, making the album feel rushed despite there being a four year gap between releases. Songs like ‘I Want it All’, ‘Us Against the World’ and ‘State of Emergency’ are all still good, but don’t quite hold a candle to a lot of their back catalogue.

I’d love to hear them live to see if I ‘get’ it a little more. I’m hoping that after a few more listens the style will grow on me, as it’s clearly a conscious decision to go in this direction. It gives off slight Genesis vibes, but that isn’t what I really want from my punk. It’s worth checking out, but for those who are fans of the band already, brace yourselves, it’s different. As I said, not bad, but certainly not up there with their previous release or their best. I don’t want this to be fully negative though, as it’s still a solid 7.5/10! There are plenty of elements of classic Rise Against in here, just wrapped up in a weird-ass bow.

Chevelle: Bright as Blasphemy

YES. It’s no secret that I’ve been impatiently waiting for this album, and now that it’s finally here it is everything I wanted it to be. It very much fondles my eardrums in all the best ways. I absolutely loved NIRATIAS and this feels like the perfect follow-up to that album. This would normally be the point in the review where I talk about which tracks are highlights, but this whole 40-minutes is fucking incredible and one big highlight of rock in of itself. From the awesome opener to the incredible, proggy two-part ‘Cowards’, followed up by a slower, Tooly reflective song, only to slap you in the face with all the riffs in ‘Wolves’… and that’s just the first half of the album! The final half of the album is just as spectacular, with ‘Blood Out in the Fields’ being so simple yet effective, giving me goosebumps. I could gush about this album all day, but it really needs to be heard to fully appreciate it, so stop reading this and check it out immediately! They’re like a more alt, consistent Tool and I love every second of it. Their last album, as fantastic as it was, grew on me a little after that first listen, but I don’t even need that with this. A very easy 10/10. They are maybe the most underrated band on the face of the planet, and it’ll certainly end up very high on our top albums list come December!

Jordan Davis: Learn the Hard Way

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.

Black Honey: Soak

The fourth album from the British indie rockers is a solid release in their genre. While it’s not wholly my sort of thing, I completely get the appeal, and it’s incredibly unique and well written. I remember checking out their sophomore album way back in the day and enjoying it, but missed their last one. Despite that, it’s easy to hear their progression to here, and this is a clearly good addition to their growing discography. Tracks like ‘Dead’, the dark, gothic ‘Carroll Avenue’ and ‘To the Grave’ are all big highlights, but the whole album is good and had a great flow, the nearly 40-minutes going by in a flash. It gives off big Mother Mother vibes, and y’all know how much I love that band. If you’re into chilled out, fun indie rock, this is definitely the album for you, and I enjoyed it more than I expected to! It’s a solid 7/10, and this won’t be the last time I listen to some of these tracks!

Heartkiller: Üdv A Világomban

The much anticipated debut album from the Hungarian melodeath band finally dropped this last Friday, and it’s pretty good! It’s packed full of technical riffing and drumming, heavy screams and some massive, melodic clean choruses. I have no idea what they’re singing about, but they’re passionate in their delivery, too! Tracks like ‘Életre Ítélve’, ‘F.e.a.r.’ and the title track are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad track on here! I completely get the thrash comparisons too, as it feels as much like Testament as it does In Flames, which is awesome. Honestly, there isn’t a great deal to say about the album, other than if you like melodic death metal, thrash or a more European metal sound, this is well worth checking out! A solid 7.5/10 from us!

Cass McCombs: Interior Live Oak

The psychedelic folk singer-songwriter is back with his 13th studio album. I remember checking out his previous album last year but sadly ran out of time to review it, so it’s nice to have a quieter week to sit and really jam with this. It’s an incredibly chilled-out release, very much fitting that relaxed Americana-folk mould, but certainly doing it in his own way. It’s again not fully my sort of thing, but I fully see the appeal of this. I had it on in the background while I cooked and it was great! As such, I don’t really have any tracks that stand out over others; it was all a similar sort of vibe and energy. However, as a whole it’s a great release and experience to listen to, and I’d recommend to anyone into the more chilled side of music! There is no denying his talent, as some of his riffs, arrangements and lyrics are incredible. It did get a little samey for me, especially at the insane 75-minute runtime, but I still enjoyed it and know a lot will love it. 6.5/10

Baest: Colossal

This things combines hard/classic rock and stoner/doom riffing with straight up death metal, to pretty fantastic results! And while I certainly wouldn’t say it ‘took some getting into’, by the time ‘In Loathe and Love’ came on I was hooked and jammed the whole rest of the thing in one sitting, loving every track. The band are so hugely talented; the instrumentation being phenomenal throughout while the screams are somehow both brutal and catchy in equal measure. Heck, whether it was Simon Olsen’s vocals or the generally not-depressing guitar and drum work, it made the screams feel less heavy at times, definitely lending itself towards an almost death’n’roll sound on occasion. It’s another album that’s impossible to pick highlights from as every song is as good as the last. It’s insane to me that it’s taken me four albums to finally hear about them to check them out, but they have a huge new fan in me! If you are at all into the heavy side of metal, check this out ASAP. I’m already desperate to see it live, too! An incredibly easy 9/10 from us!

Luke Marzec: Something Good Out of Nothing

Another debut album, this time from the Devon-based jazz/blues/soul rising star. It’s easy to see why he’s a fast-rising star too, as this is an incredible release. The opener is an amazing track, and it’s easy to see why it’s blown up as a single, as well as setting the tone for the album well. Then you have the (old-school) Randy Neuman-esque ‘Red Boletes’, the fantastically jazz-pop ‘Broken Promises’ and ‘Enough of Single Measures” that are all also awesome. However, if you’re into this sort of thing, you’ll enjoy the whole album! It reminds me of a less rocky Cardinal Black, and I love that this kind of sound is taking off in the UK again! His voice is incredible and his songwriting is amazing, blending together so many styles effortlessly and doing so while still making it relatively accessible. If you are at all curious, give this a spin, you won’t be disappointed! A very solid 7.5/10

Reviews

Europa Reign, Instigators and Alan Fletcher: EPs Galore!

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Three completely different EPs for us to check out today, from metal to punk to Americana. All are worth a listen but read on to see what we thought!

Europa Reign: Self-Titled

The debut EP from the alt metal band from just down the road in Wolverhampton is awesome, and a hugely impressive first release! It’s got an air of Mason Hill meets Earthtone9, and I love it! There’s a really nostalgic late 90s early 2000s post grunge edge to it too, but also it feels pretty fresh and different at the same time. His vocals are a little Sully Erna and a little Scott Stapp. the power and melody over a heavier, more technical and modern instrumentation being fantastic. Also, it’s impossible to pick out just a couple of highlights, as all five tracks on this are phenomenal. It’s right up my street musically, and is 23-minutes of perfect hard rock/metal. If you are in any way into any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned already, I cannot recommend this enough! The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and have a hugely bright future ahead of them if this release is anything to go by! I can’t give it any less than 10/10, amazing!

Instigators: Full Circle/The Sleeper

The UK punk royalty are back after decades away, returning to the stage a week ago at Rebellion in Blackpool and then releasing this revamped EP today! While none of it is new, I wanted to cover it as this is a rather huge deal, and a band I love! ‘Full Circle’ sounds better than ever, while classic ‘The Sleeper’ also sounds excellent with a new lease of life. As far as I’m aware the EP is only available in physical format, aside for the videos on YouTube like the one below. So, if you can order it or make it down to one of their shows, I highly recommend you pick up a copy! 8/10

Alan Fletcher: Let’s Talk About Love

The Neighbours star put out his brand new EP today, a follow-up to his 2023 debut album. Australian Americana is an interesting one, but it doesn’t not work. It’s simple but chilled-out, fun music in the vein of Julian Taylor or John Jenkins. There’s even a little bit of Ian Anderson to his vocal delivery, which I found pretty fascinating for this genre. He’s a good songwriter, the lyrics being pretty fantastic, and it’s a simple, good 12 minutes to sink your teeth into if you’re into this sort of style. My favourite track is probably the more bluesy/Willie Nelson-like ‘Table Service’, but none of them are bad! It’s a solid 7.5/10, and good for anyone just wanting to sit back and relax with some music!

Reviews

Learn the Hard Way: Jordan Davis’ Best Album to Date?

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The incredible Jordan Davis is set to release his brand new third album tomorrow, and there was no way we weren’t checking this out early! Despite being a fan of his work, I’ve somehow never managed to check out a full album from the guy, so I’m excited to really dive in and see what he’s about, especially when he’s currently at the height of his career. He’s certainly one of the most interesting current newer guys, blending plenty of styles into his own sound. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

‘Her Way or the Highway’ opens things up pretty chilled, immediately giving off Kip Moore vibes in the best ways! It’s definitely country but has that awesome soft/pop rock feel to it too. It all builds perfectly to a MASSIVE chorus too, just made to be played to huge festival crowds. The lyrics are typical country stuff but so well written, fitting the vibe of the song perfectly. We even get a nice little guitar lead tucked away in the middle, too! It’s a really good choice to open the album, keeping the energy pretty high and telling the listener exactly who Jordan is and what they’re in for on this release. An easy early highlight track!

‘Bar None’ follows on from the opener perfectly, having the same energy as before but definitely leaning more into the country side of the style. The acoustic guitar work throughout is phenomenal, as are the harmonies on Jordan’s vocals, somehow making them even more catchy! It’s another fantastic chorus, too. It reminds me a little of ‘Tipsy’, but a bit more Americana leaning instead of hip-hop. It’s a simple track but amazing, and another that easily makes it onto our playlist. Two for two so far on awesome songs!

Next up is a beautiful ballad/duet, ‘Mess with Missing You no More’. It’s a great country breakup song, filled with some amazing vocals and lyrics and some great acoustic work again. Also, Carly Pearce is amazing on this song, her voice complimenting Jordan’s perfectly. We get another great guitar solo here too, short but channels the energy of the song in a great way. It almost gives off Slash vibes, which is definitely a good thing! It’s exactly what you’d expect from a radio country ballad; it’s been done a lot recently, but it’s still a fantastic song nonetheless. Definitely up there alongside the greats who’ve done a song like this recently.

The more pop sound returns with ‘In Case You Missed It’, giving off big Parmalee vibes. Still, it has a bit of a rocking chorus, it again being massive and hugely catchy. The same could be said about ‘Ain’t Enough Road’, ‘Memory Don’t Mess Around’ and ‘Turn This Truck Around’. All are great songs that are impossible to not have fun listening to, even if the latter is a little more of a ballad than the others. It’s a great style that I feel a lot of people still associate with the genre heavily to this day, and one that Jordan does amazingly.

Then, you have the slower, more acoustic ballads like ‘Son of a Gun’, ‘Jesus Wouldn’t Do’, ‘Keeping The World Away’ and ‘Know You Like That’. Again, all of them are amazing, providing a completely different feel to the previously mentioned tracks, and plenty of emotion throughout. The former and the latter are my personal favourites and, while it’s maybe one too many slower songs, they’re all good, and it’s a long enough release that I think it gets away with it. They’re also spread out pretty perfectly, the whole thing having a great flow to it and not feeling its length at all.

Songs like ‘Learn the Hard Way’ are slower still, but lean more on the pop end than the country, I’d say. They’re simple arrangements and have more electronic beats and sounds than a more acoustic style. While it is a sound that’s been around a little while now, towards the end of the bro-country era, I found myself associating it more with Redferrin or even Morgan Wallen. ‘I Ain’t Sayin’’, ‘Only All The Time’ and to a lesser extent, the closing track (though that feels like a combination of this and the ballad) are all pretty similar tracks. I tend to be a bit on the fence with this sort of style, but I ended up loving all of these tracks!

‘Good Gone Bad’ is an all out Southern rock song, and I fucking LOVE it. From the riffing to the massive feel to the overall drip of swagger and attitude, it’s all awesome and another massive album highlight! I know it’s definitely right up my street, but at the same time I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone into country, as it’s an excellently written track. Plus, it breaks up the album pretty perfect, being different to everything else on it and slapped almost right in the middle. Great stuff!

The last song to check out is another feature, this one with the amazing Marcus King. It’s another rocky number packed with some awesome guitaring and easily one of the best choruses on the whole album. Once again, the pair mesh so well, with this feeling as much a Marcus track as a Jordan one. Putting something such high energy so late on in the album is a great idea, and once again breaks things up perfectly before the slower closer. I’m sure this will come as no shock at all, but I loved this, and it’s another that easily makes it onto our Spotify; another big highlight!

Overall: This is an awesome album! I didn’t quite know what to expect heading into it, what side of Jordan we’d get, but there is plenty of variety throughout and it’s all done perfectly. I had a blast listening through in its entirety, and it certainly won’t be the only time I do that over the next couple of months. A must for any country or really rock fan out there, and it firmly roots him as yet another major player in the country world.

The Score: 8.5/10

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Fangslinger, Silk Spinster and Sam Barber: EPs Galore!

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Another week and some more awesome EPs for us to check out! The perfect blend of country and metal, let’s check it out! 

Fangslinger: We Are the Night

The gothic, vampire cowboys have been gathering a lot of momentum over the last nearly year since they started, and it has all culminated in this awesome five-track EP! We’re very familiar with the band at this point, and have been eagerly anticipating this release since its announcement. Heck, I have the pre-order special edition with a signed note and personal video message.

So, thank god it’s a bit good, right?! Opening on the fantastic new single before taking us on a dark-Western trip through their previous four, there certainly isn’t a bad track amongst them! Every song is as good as the last. It’s an awesome combination of Hellyeah, Avenged Sevenfold and Brantley Gilbert, and all three band members work their ass off throughout, having plenty of time to shine individually and together. It’s 21-minutes that is a must to check out for anyone into rock, country, metal, or heck, just music in general! What an incredible debut, and highlights everything that the band do so well. It feels fresh and new and innovative, yet familiar enough to get anyone doubtful into it. There’s a reason they are gathering some steam already, and this release will only push them up another level again. I can’t give it anything less than 10/10!

Sam Barber: Music for the Soul

The new EP from the breakout country star, and follow-up to 2024’s Restless Mind, is honestly a bit of a banger! It’s very current in its sound, giving off that indie/Americana edge to country music in the same vein as Wyatt Flores, Evan Honer and Zach Bryan. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty samey like the album was, but when it’s a quarter of the length it makes it a lot easier to digest. It meant that, while each song was slower, each felt like the very best of the best Sam had to offer; being packed full of epicness and emotion. Particular highlights for me are the opener/title track, ‘Same Sad Shit’ and ‘Home Tonight’. Some of the rasp in his vocal delivery at times honestly gave me goosebumps, and some of his lyrics are incredible.

It won’t be for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but I had a far better time with this than I did his album. If you’re into the general style he plays, this is well worth checking out! A solid 8/10!

Silk Spinster: Self-Titled

The UK heavy metal revivalists are another one with a debut EP this week, and another one that knocked it out of the park with their release! It’s exactly what you’d expect from the genre, a fun romp through awesome riffing, great soloing and some catchy melodies. Tracks like the title one, ‘White Lines’ and ‘Rockstar’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the EP! The band are all incredibly talented and will go insanely far if they can break into the still-booming NWOCR scene. It’s infectiously fun metal with a slight sleaze edge to it, and I’d recommend to anyone even slightly curious! Another very easy 8/10 from us!

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Endless Horizon: Florence Sommerville Knocks it Out of the Park with her Debut!

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The amazing Florence Sommerville is set to release her debut album this coming Friday. The UK country star has been making waves with her singles, so anticipation is at an all time high already. Without further ado, let’s dive right in and check this out!

The album starts in perfectly chilled-out fashion with ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’. It gives off a more relaxed, Americana/folk side of country music akin to the likes of Julian Taylor or Lanie Gardner or Taylor Rae. However, it also builds up perfectly into a bigger, catchy chorus just begging to be played to huge festival crowds. The harmonies are incredible and I feel like it’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come. We also get some amazing duelling guitar soloing coming out of the choruses, something that I wasn’t expecting but massively appreciate, showing off the talented blues playing of the band. It honestly gives me Santana vibes in the best ways. It’s a really great way to open the album and set the pace, and is a very easy highlight!

‘Fearless’, though not a Tay Tay cover, is somehow even more country, amazing for a Brit. The strings add a lot to it, but her vocals are also awesome, reminding me a lot of people like Paula Cole and Brandi Carlisle, but also simultaneously Alanis Morissette. Speaking of the former, it’s very much in that vein of early 2000s chilled country that I always seem to associate with shows like Gilmore Girls and Dawsons Creek. It’s a less massive chorus, keeping the more Americana/bluegrass feel, but is no less awesome and catchy. It’s a simple but amazing song written and performed beautifully.

Nearly our song, ‘Overton’, is another slower, chilled-out and stripped-back country banger. It shares a lot of similarities with the previous track but that’s far from an issue, as they’re both so good! I love that it slowly builds throughout too, more and more awesome elements coming in each new parts, and so much amazing soloing. This time I got more Knopfler vibes. It’s honestly a beautiful song, and one that I enjoyed a hell of a lot. Florence’s vocals are insanely impressive!

Single ‘Broken Pieces’ picks up the pace a little again, adding a bit of swing and swagger and attitude to the proceedings. It feels like something that should be played at a smoky jazz club, and doesn’t feel like a far-cry from the likes of Amy Winehouse or Lady Rose. It’s another infectiously catchy chorus too, the rest of the track building to it perfectly. It was a damn good choice for a single! It’s yet another massive album highlight, that’s for sure!

Following one single with another, ‘California’ slows things back down to an almost ballad-pace. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the album, especially ‘Fearless’ and ‘Overton’. However, it does still build into a slightly bigger chorus, and makes for a great relaxed single. And it’s once again catchy as another, and a track that I actually really want to see live, as it gave me enough goosebumps on track! Florence is knocking it out of the park with this release, so far!

The likes of ‘Out Where the Love Grows’, ‘Silly Little Things’ and ‘Forget the Water’ are all pretty similar slower, chilled-out vibes. They are all slightly different, like the latter just being Florence with a guitar and her powerful vocals, but all have a similar feel and emotional impact to them. The same could honestly be said for ‘Molasses’ and ‘Cut and Run’. They’re both two more incredible songs, with the latter honestly being one of my favourite tracks on the album; its chorus and the harmonies are INCREDIBLE… *chefs kiss*. But all share pretty similar DNA, and I don’t want to keep repeating myself and gushing over it like a fangirl, it doesn’t make for very good reading! Still, you should check out all of these tracks immediately!

‘Love Me Then’ and ‘Boots in the rain’ take a bit more of the country route. They’re still chilled tracks, but definitely have more of a traditional country feel, kinda like Brandi again. The latter again is amazing, almost giving Dolly vibes with the old-school country nature of the song. Two more awesome original tracks to round things out perfectly!

On top of all of these already awesome tracks, we get a whopping four amazing bonus acoustic songs. From the beautiful, powerful ‘Whiskey in the Morning’ to the interesting, amazing Guns n’ Roses cover to the two great tracks tucked between them, they’re more excellent additions. They fit rather seamlessly into the rest of the album, too. Incredible given they are another change of pace. It really highlights how amazing Florence’s vocals are; her range being insanely impressive and the perfect mix of soft and powerful. I would highly recommend getting or checking out this version, as these tracks are more than worth it!

Overall: This is an incredible debut album! It’s an amazing release anyway, but for a first full-length release from Florence, it is something truly special. It’s chilled-out throughout, but so powerful and beautiful in equal measure, and every song is as good as the last! She’s entering a scene at its biggest in the UK currently, and will surely leave a big mark with this release. I can see huge things in her near future and already can’t wait to hear where she goes from here. However, for now, I cannot recommend this album enough to anyone even slightly into country, folk or Americana!

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Wet Leg, Brent Cobb and More!

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An interesting week of new music this time, covering everything from crazy heavy to traditional-styled folk, and plenty in between! Join us in checking it all out!

Wet Leg: moisturiser

One of the biggest up-and-coming bands in the world returned with their sophomore album this last Friday. We didn’t end up checking out their debut for whatever reason, but I’ve seen someone describe the band as ‘music for people who hate music’ and I honestly think that’s a pretty perfect. It’s for Glastonbury, trust-fund girlies to feel edgy for listening to a ‘rock’ band. From the pretty terrible lyrics to the bored, effort-lacking vocal delivery to the paint by numbers indie-punk riffing, it’s honestly all pretty grating. It’s low-effort music through and through and feels like it’s trying to be far too arty than it actually is.

However, having said all of that, I didn’t actually have a bad time listening to some of this. I don’t know if they triggered some sort of Velvet Underground childhood nostalgia for me or what, but tracks like the opening three and ‘pond song’ I found myself at worst not-hating and at best kinda-enjoying. I don’t think I see the appeal from the intended or usual angle, but I at least got something out of some of the tracks, which is better than expected. The rest of it did kinda suck, though!

If you like the band and style and this album, more power to you. Some of this is okay background music to me, but I shan’t be rushing to revisit it a lot any time soon. I still don’t fully get the appeal or the drastic rise to where they are, but I respect the hustle a lot. Still, I can’t give it any more than a 4.5/10

P.S. those nails on the front cover creeped me out. Did not like that.

Brent Cobb & The Fixin’s: Ain’t Rocked in a While

I barely know how to describe how this sounds, other than awesome. It reminds me a lot of TC3’s Tabasco and Sweet Tea, and has elements of everything from Elvie Shane to Luke Dick to the Steeldrivers. Like it’s still rooted in country, but is a lot more light-blues-rock, focusing on the riffs and having a generally fun, bouncy feel to it throughout. It just makes for an easy, chilled out, and incredibly enjoyable listen. Songs like the title one, ‘Even if it’s Broke’ and ‘Take Yer Meds’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the album. I’ve listened through this full thing at least three times this weekend and it has always gone by in a flash. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you like some light rock infused with country, Southern and blues vibes, I feel like you’ll love this as much as I did! A very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Born of Osiris: Through Shadows

This slab of angry , proggy djentcore is fucking awesome. It’s nearly 50-minutes of technical, brutal heaviness that doesn’t let up at all for its entire runtime, and I love it for that. Don’t get me wrong, there are catchy, melodic moments and some clean vocals scattered throughout, but part of me was a little worried the band would have gone the Bad Omens way of incorporating the heaviness with large swaths of synth pop. There was still synth and electro stuff, but it was more to add beat and compliment the awesome, heavy instrumentation around it. And said instrumentation was phenomenal, everyone in the band being technically brilliant and working their asses off throughout. It’s like a more djent-infused Bleed From Within, which is an awesome sentence in of itself! From the opener to the more ‘ballad-like’ ‘Through Shadows’ to ‘In Desolation’ to the Spenser Chamberlain-featuring ‘Activated’ (y’all know how I feel about sax) are all awesome and big personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on the album by any stretch. Even the legitimately and typically-for-the-genre slower, proggy track to close is awesome, feeling and sounding EPIC and drawing the album together perfectly. I can’t recommend this enough to any heavy fans out there, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Amy Macdonald: Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?

The legendary Scottish folk-rock singer returned with her first album in half a decade last Friday. I have to say that while I am a bit of a fan of her, she’s very much been a name that has escaped me for the most part, me only hearing the bigger hits. I love them and have always meant to check out more, so I’m excited to finally be checking out a full release from her!

Firstly, the electronic drums and elements were an interesting touch, clearly fitting with the albums 80s throwback theming. I think for the most part they paid off, adding to Amy’s typically grandiose folk styling and somehow modernising it while also adding a nostalgic feel. It also makes everything sound massive. Songs like ‘Can You Hear Me?’, ‘The Hope’ and ‘Forward’ are all fantastic, but there isn’t a bad song on the album, honestly. It felt a little bit of a slow-starter at first for me, but on a second attempt it’s a really easy, chilled out listen, and a lot of fun to whack on and get lost in, or dance around to while cooking. While I wouldn’t say any one song measures up to her biggest hits, as an album as a whole it’s incredibly solid, and a must for a fans of her music or style. I’ll definitely be spinning it more this summer, and it gets an easy 8/10!

Ward XVI: Id3ntity

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review of it here.

Gregory Page: One Hell of a Memory

The seventh album from English-American singer-songwriter feels like it pulls together his entire career up until now. Packed full of guests that he’s worked closely with in the past in Jason Mraz and Cindy Wasserman, as well as being packed full of amazing tracks, it almost feels like the culmination of his journey in music until this point. It mixes Americana and country with more English folk music perfectly and feels pretty unique, honestly. From the opener to the old-school folk ‘A Place in the Choir’ to the closer, there is a lot to love on here. Gregory and Jason’s vocals work so well together, creating some amazing harmonies throughout. Honestly, parts of it felt kinda Lord of the Rings-y, and I can’t help but love it. It won’t be for everyone but well worth checking out if you’re curious. An easy 7.5/10.

Stygian Fair: The Hidden Realm

The fifth album from the Swedish NWOBHM revival band follows pretty perfectly on from Aradia. It feels like all generations of Iron Maiden blended into one solid sound, and it’s pretty awesome! And the band are all hugely talented, this thing packed full of awesome riffs, catchy melodies and some amazing soloing. Personal highlights include ‘Abide Your Master’, ‘Peel the Layers Off’ and ‘Meteor’. It’s honestly insane to me that this band aren’t far bigger by now, especially a few albums in. They’re amazing songwriters, the production is great and it all has a real epic feel to it. If you are into this sort of heavy metal/AOR type style, I’d definitely recommend checking out the band if you haven’t already! It’s 47-minutes of mid-tempo, epic, heavy awesomeness, and gets a solid 7.5/10 from me!

Tanner Usrey: These Days

Tanner’s sophomore album is an awesome boot stompin’, rockin’ country release. Whether it’s the mor higher energy and tempo songs or the slower ballad-like tracks, it’s all amazing. Honestly, the slower stuff reminds me a lot of Wyatt Flores, which I LOVE. From ‘If you Call Me Again’ to ‘Smoke in the Air’ to the blusier ‘Bad Love’ to the almost War & Treaty-like ‘With You’, there is so much to love on this thing. Tanner’s vocals are absolutely phenomenal throughout the release, and some of his lyrics are bittersweet and excellently written; horribly relatable. It’s easy to hear why he’s becoming a big name in the scene already, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to hear of him before. He fits so perfectly into the current country music scene, and firmly establishes himself as a major player in the future with this album. I really loved this and I’d be shocked if it doesn’t end up high on our list of albums of the year come December. However, for now, I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Mosara: Rumour of a Funeral

The fourth album from the Phoenix-based doom band is exactly what you’d expect from a band of their style. Sludgy, stomping, evil riffing, solid drumming and interesting, perfectly-fitting vocals is the aim of the game here, and the band bring it all in spades. And I also absolutely love the fact that it’s an album of only four tracks, but spread across nearly 40 minutes; perfect for doom. The band are clearly talented players and songwriters, and it immediately makes me want to hear it live! However, that may have been a little down to the mix, as it was sadly so very hard to hear the vocals sometimes. Still, that’s almost part of it with the genre, right? And it’s still a damn enjoyable album even with that. If you like doom, you’ll definitely like this release. It got a touch long in the teeth for me by the end, but with my tiny attention span I don’t think I’m quite the bands target audience. Still, it’s a damn good album, and gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Danno Simpson: The Kill Joy

Debut album time now. The darker, red-dirt country star follows up on his string of EPs excellently with this release. It’s not unlike Tanner up above, but also gives off vibes of Pinegrove and even a touch of Counting crows in the more upbeat moments. And of course, the comparisons to Stephen Wilson Jr are obvious, too. I love it! Danno is a fantastic songwriter and his instrumentation, lyricism and melodies shine bright constantly across this 36 minutes. It’s packed full of emotion and gave me goosebumps on multiple occasions listening through. It went by in a flash and honestly, there isn’t a bad track on this whole album. I had to stop myself from adding nearly this whole album to our playlist, it’s that good. My only slight complaint is that the weakest track on the album is the opener, but even then it isn’t really a bad song! If you are a fan of any of the artists I’ve mentioned previously, or just a darker, depressing folk-Americana sound in general, I honestly can’t recommend this enough. Even with Danno having some EPs out prior, it is still one hell of a debut full-length. It’s yet another incredibly easy 9/10 from us!

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Easy Does It: Dylan Scott’s Best Album to Date?

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The third album from the modern country superstar Dylan Scott is set for release tomorrow. The anticipation is high for it, and it’s no wonder! We checked out the re-release of Scott’s last album last year and didn’t mind it, though I certainly get why people love it so much. However, it seems like Scott is going for a different approach here. Even in the artwork alone, gone is the trucker cap and he’s more neatly trimmed, sporting a suit. It feels like an indication of a shift in style to me, and it’s potentially a needed one as his last album did feel a touch stale, in this writers honest (sorry) opinion. So, I’m very curious heading into this… let’s dive in!

‘What He’ll Never Have’ starts the album in exactly the kind of way you’d expect a country album to open these days. It’s a massive radio-country track if I’ve ever heard one, building through the simple verses into the massive, stadium-filling choruses. It’s very FGL-era of country, not that I’m complaining at all! Still, Dylan’s vocals are great and the lyrics, while typical country stuff, are well crafted. And instrumentally, it’s simple, but fits the track perfectly, doing exactly what it needs to do! It’s a song made to be played to huge festival crowds, and it’s a damn good way to open the album. An easily playlisted song!

The least country song title ever, ‘I Hate Whiskey’, carries on perfectly where the opener left off. It’s a slower, stripped-back, acoustic verse that builds up into a bigger sound for the catchy-as-anything chorus. It’s a more modern sound though, it not exploding into something massive but rather adding in the electric beats and subtle strings. It gives off more of a Redferrin or Russel Dickerson or even Morgan Wallen vibe to it than the previous song. However, the variety is nice, and shows that Dylan is still creating varied sounds over a decade into his career. And, while it’s not especially my sort of sound, I don’t mind the odd track of it now and again. It’s infectiously catchy, sure to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, so it’s impossible not to like!

The title track is another highlight; a truly fantastic acoustic ballad. It’s simple but so very effective, the focus being on the guitar and Dylan’s great vocals and lyrics, and not a great deal else! It’s another really catchy song too, especially when the harmonies come in for the second and final choruses! The sound also builds more and more elements in as it goes, so by the end it’s an almost epic soundscape, giving off more Americana vibes than I was expecting. It’s a great song, and definitely a good choice to draw attention to by naming the album after it!

‘This Town’s Been Too Good to Us’ is a song that’s been lingering around for a while, much like the opener. Both were put out on the re-issue of Scott’s 2022 album, Livin’ My Best Life, last year, and have also made up 2/11 of this record. A touch cheep? Maybe. However, this is an absolutely phenomenal track that I just couldn’t escape from last year and didn’t really want to. That chorus is amazing, and one of the best Dylan’s ever put out. He also pushes his voice a little more on it than he does a lot of this album, having a touch of rasp to his usually radio-polished vocals, and it adds so much depth and emotion to it. I can’t gush over this song enough, and honestly haven’t heard it in a few months so it hit me even harder revisiting it for this release. If you are in any way a country fan, check this out immediately. It was already on last year’s playlist, or it would have gone on our current one!

Songs like ‘Twice’ and ‘Back Forty’ have a similar feel to them as the title track, being more slower, acoustic-based vibes. They’re definitely not bad tracks, with the former actually being yet another big favourite of mine from the album. However, it’s hard to talk about them here much without repeating myself over and over and coming across as a fangirl. If you’re into the slower, more emotional country songs, these are definitely worth checking out! They’re so good, in fact, that they don’t really feel like ‘album tracks’, and could easily be singles in their own right!

‘Country Till I Die’ brings in some much needed rock to the album, and it’s fucking awesome! The moment it opens it has that swaggering distorted guitar behind Dylan’s vocals, instantly giving the track an attitude that the album hasn’t had so far. The lyrics are a little cringy, don’t get me wrong, but in a fun way as opposed to wanting to turn it off. Heck, we even got some guitar soloing at times which, while brief, were great and fit the song perfectly. And, as wild as it sounds (to me too, don’t you worry), it’s another huge album highlight for me! The thing is packed full of them so far!

‘Smoke Follows Beauty’ has a slight Americana twang to it, maybe due to the higher pace. It’s a bit more like the opener in that it’s higher energy than much of the album, and is yet another song that I love and will have stuck in my head for days to come. Then you have stuff like ‘You’d Think I was a Cowboy’ that is more of that stripped-back modern sound again, and another catchy, stadium-filling ballad in ‘’Till I Can’t I Will’. Then closer ‘I Owe You One’ is a similar song to the previous, fittingly ending the album with a big, great radio-country song! Both of the final two songs are what I was expecting heading into the album, and they more than live up to my hype!

Overall: I came into this with slightly reserved expectations, and was absolutely blown away! The album is packed full of so many great songs, and has definitely made me a far bigger fan of Dylan coming out of it! There wasn’t at all a dull moment; there being plenty of variety and it all flowed perfectly. And it does feel slightly more… mature, I guess? It definitely has a different feel to it than his previous releases, and certainly in a good way. The whole thing went by in a flash, and I’ve listened to it all at least twice through while writing this. Even though we’ve heard half the album already too in singles, it felt fresh overall. In terms of the style of country that Scott has produced here, it may be a near-perfect album in that sound. If you’re a country fan at all, I’d highly recommend checking this out, there’s bound to be something on it you’ll love as much as I do!

The Score: 9/10