The difference between their good and their bad is a yawning
Greg Reilly | Melbourne, Australia | 06/10/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Best known for their novelty bluegrass takes on familiar rock and pop songs (albums of AC/DC and Kiss covers, for instance), these hillbilly rockers have finally put out a recording of all original material.
The result is patchy, but there are some toe-tappers and a couple of serious tracks, too. The songs, for the most part, essentially are fun pop tunes, with plenty of hooks and sing-along choruses, delivered in a bluegrassy southern rock style. About half the album is electric.
The tone is set by the opener, the rocking and ambiguous Bouncing Betty Boogie, before slowing it down with the insane love song, Set Myself On Fire, which has a clever familiarity with Cat Stevens' First Cut is the Deepest. The band delves into politics with the accusing When Washington Comes Around and Trickle Down, a rage against US economic policies, played fast, with furious banjo and scratchy fiddle. Their style is deliberately crossover, but this risks leaving fans of bluegrass and rock unsatisfied."