“I write songs. I like pie. I play Larrivee Guitars. I really like pie.”
This is how the Hillbilly Country singer, Scott Southworth, has laid out his bio. This may well be enough for some people to go and take a listen! All joking aside though, Scott has been making most excellent music for a while now, with three previous albums all hitting the right spot and this one just keeps taking him higher.
When people online try and claim that ‘real Country music is dead’, it always frustrates me because I hear real Country music every single day. The Country Mile plays these very artists every single week. I actually believe that over the last five or so years, the classic sound has been as good as its ever been. Trouble is, as with most genres of music, the big mainstream stations often exclude true talent, so if that is where you listen, you will be missing so much. With Southworth’s music, as soon as you press play or place the needle on the record, you are guaranteed classic style Honky Tonk Country music of the highest calibre.
The title track opens the album and is pretty much a call to arms, where he claims he might not be the coolest or biggest Tonker but he will be doing what he can to keep this sound alive. Plenty of clever namechecks along the way too. Scott has the perfect tone and drawl for this kind of music and sings in such a clear way that you hear all the words perfectly.
‘Here Comes The Night’ is second up and is one of the pumping and striding tunes The Mavericks did so well at one time. ‘Just Fishin’ brings in the fiddle and a very satisfying melody, especially with the chorus and then a great bit of fun follows, with ‘Granny Used To Honky Tonk’, where he adds the marvellous Dallas Moore to bring a smile to your face.
I mentioned his vocals earlier and they absolutely suit the heartache ballads that you’ll find on the record. The first of which is ‘Over Getting Over You Again’, which uses an almost Waltz like shuffle and uses the pedal steel and fiddle in all the right moments. The other example is on ‘When The Bottle Runs Dry’ which hits you in the feels for sure.
One thing I did note when I first heard the album, was how Southworth has added extra melody to several songs that go even further than *just* regular Honky Tonk. The main track I have in mind here is for ‘Woman On My New Tattoo’ – recalling how she got under his skin! – which tells the tale of a lady he met in a bar but now can’t recall her name. That must be so annoying! This could sit on a Strait album for sure and be a big hit in the golden days.
‘Ridin’ Sparky Tonight’ is a co-write with Jerry Salley and is a fun song about the electric chair, when Country has a smile on its face, even on the darkest of subjects. I also should mention ‘Country No Matter What Country’, a song released earlier alongside other artists from around the world, showing how this classic sound is truly loved no matter where you are.
The record ends brilliantly with a song that I’ll sadly not be able to use on my radio show! ‘Middle Finger First’ uses the line ‘Just about everything p*sses me off’ and I know so many who will nod along to this one, with a huge grin on their face. Love it.
So we return to the opening song, where Scott cheekily puts himself down in the grand scheme of things. But he really shouldn’t – this is another superb collection of Honky Tonk tunes that deserves to be in every Country fans collections. Sadly, like far too many artists of this quality, the big radio stations will ignore him and too many people will remain unaware of his talent. But this is why you all visit EF Country, to gain the knowledge needed, to find the best Country music out there and hopefully spread the Gospel. So please do buy the album and tell everyone you can all about it!
Track List: 1. Comin’ Round To Honky Tonk Again 2. Here Comes The Night 3. Just Fishing 4. Granny Used To Honky Tonk 5. Over Getting Over You Again 6. Country No Matter What Country 7. Woman On My New Tattoo 8. Everything I Ever Knew 9. Drinking For Two 10. When The Bottle Goes Dry 11. Ridin’ Sparky Tonight 12. Middle Finger First Record Label: Flaming Tortuga Records Release Date: 5th September Buy ‘Coming Round to Honky Tonk Again’
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