Most country music seems to echo with the sounds of the past, a tribute to where the genre has already been. If Nothing Else sounds like country music filled with the sound of the road ahead. Forget the Music Town sparkle and the traits and traditions of the past, Dirty, their latest ep, is both forward-thinking and just the right balance of freshness and familiarity.
Ode to a Headstone, which opens this five-track collection is the perfect blend of alt-country and Americana vibes, rock swagger and bluesy poise. And as a starting point, it kicks things off perfectly. The title track is full of raw, southern-fried guitars and buoyant banjoes and Sweet Baby Gang: The Anthem, which rounds things off, is exactly that…anthemic.
If you think that country music has become too set in its ways, is too conformist, and you can make a good argument for just that, then pick up a copy of Dirty and you will be reassured that the future for the genre is still looking bright. Very bright indeed.
