It is easy to make a case for the fact that country music can take itself a bit too seriously. A gross generalisation I know, but you know the ones I mean, those moody looking, lonesome cowboys waxing lyrical about love, often unrequited, about the one that got away or done them wrong or their dog … or their pickup truck. Thankfully, Seth Hilary Jackson navigates a very different route through the genre on If Love Had a Butt, the title signposts as much and it is just the humorous shot in the arm the genre needs from time to time.
And he gets the balance just right. This is no goofy throw away tune, it takes a very serious subject but instead of getting hung up on the pitfalls and disappointments which often come part and parcel with relationships and emotions, he is happy to laugh at the whole thing. And musically it comes from a well thought out place, somewhere between pure country, pop and mountain folk, the tune is built on dexterous guitar picking, lilting banjos and gentle harmonies, perfect, clean-limbed and straight to the point.
After years of writing for other people Jackson has just released his first album, This Ones For You, and a quick listen makes it obvious that he is a wide-ranging song-writer, wandering from the sublime to the ridiculous, addressing issues serious and silly and taking in a number of genres. Sometimes you want something to think about, sometimes you want a sweet song and sometimes you just want song to put a smile on your face. Seth Hilary Jackson has all the bases covered.
Oh yes, and he likes Jethro Tull, so you have got to love him, right?
Find out more about Seth Hilary Jackson HERE
