Southern Culture On The Skids

Album number seven for these backwoods boogie machines sees them spinning more yarns of cheap booze and even cheaper sex. Each release sees a small evolution in their sound, and this time it's a swing towards more traditional country. This can be heard on the double shot of hurtin' songs "Drunk and Lonesome" and "Just How Lonely." Speaking of shots, this is the most booze referential album SCOTS have turned out to date, with the titles track, "The Corn Rocket" and "Corn Liquor" all extolling the joys of strong drink. Their bio points to the fact that they spend so much time in bars playing, so it's just a case of writing about what you know. Other pick hits include a Las Vegas Grind cover, "Pass The Hatchet" and the soul-sonic, horn driven rave-up of "How I Learned To Dance In Mississippi." The permanent addition of Chris "Crispy" Bess on organ fills things out and strengthens this party machine's already solid grooves. While these wannabe hill-dwellers still have one foot firmly in the swamp, the surf and exotica influences of the last few releases have been traded in for a deeper, more kissin' cousin vintage Nashville sound.