Released on October 20th, this is the latest offering from rock/country/Americana band The Southern Gothic and follows on from recent single releases such as ‘Talking In My Sleep’, and ‘Straight Up.
Affectionately known to fans as SoGo, The Southern Gothic hails from the heart of country music in Nashville
Southern Gothic are:
Connor Christian
Shawn Thacker
Their website link is here
“Rich Folks” was an earlier single, and it should be a blaster for country radio. It has a wonderful catchy riff that oozes swagger and sway. It had me dash off for my cowboy boots to have a quick dance in the living room! The guitar work is mighty fun, and it is a great album starter. It may “be pouring on the tin roof,” but if the rich folks have any sense, they will be dancing to this.
“Dreaming Big in a Small Town” is also the new single release. It was written with #1 Billboard artist and upcoming UK favourite, Elvie Shane, and features a strikingly lyrical story that centers on a man from a small town who never got out. He was born there, and he will die there. Some people don’t go looking for change or uproot and start over, and this is what this song is about. He’ll stay where he is, despite knowing his true love will never settle there.
This is another killer for radio play; it is very commercial, cool country style, and I love the backing melodies behind these vocals that were made for performance!
“Stranger Things” is a slower track with a bit of honky-tonk piano to move the melody. The chorus harmony and “ooh ohhs” are great and make the track. I would love to hear this live, as I think it is one of those songs that could develop its own life, and I think it could quickly get audience interaction!
“Over the Edge” changes the tempo again. A beautiful track with acoustic guitar creating the emotion. It’s a song of the American South, and it is a storytelling tale, a narrative tale. Potentially, it is one of my favourites on the album; it is very listenable and has many layers, making it a listening experience.
“Don’t Let Me Find It” is a bit more rocky; it moves into that rocky chorus’ territory with some nice drum and bass rhythms. Again, a great vocal performance. A solid album track.
“High Road” has lyrics I have to agree with: “There is always someone there to piss you off” and “sometimes you want to get even,” but its better to get the high road and just drive! I liked the little guitar breaks and the general angst in the track. It is one of those songs that picks you up as you think, “Hell, yeah” when you listen to it! Again, some pleasing piano breaks add to the music side of things.
“Straight Up” is a cover track from the 1988 Paula Abdul classic. The lyrics are the same, but the music side of it has really reinvented the track in an interesting fashion. I liked the original, which was a dance piece; this one has taken it and delivered a country pop-style vibe to it with a repeating “Do You Love Me” near the end, which means the track appears fresh. It’s an excellent cover.
“Talking in My Sleep” is a decent country rock track. If I had been listening to it outside of the album, I would have probably liked it more, but there are a lot of tracks here I have just been listening to that I like better! It’s fine, but I didn’t react as positively as with the others.
“Most Days” is a slower track again; it reflects on a relationship that has a few problems. It’s well written and delivered, and I connected to the lyrics. I liked it; it’s a narrative tale with great vocals that nail the lyrical content. It’s another one that I found myself concentrating on because I wanted to follow the tale. Good chorus.
“Ghost” completes the album, entering my headphones with a solid drum sound before the vocals tell me, “going home to reclaim my ghost.” The song is a slower, mood-driven track. The music reflects a sense of pain. It’s a strong end to a great album.
Standout tracks: “Rich Folks,” “Straight Up,” and “Over the Edge.”
I listen to a lot of albums—a lot more since I have been with this magazine! This is one I will order and buy for myself, as I really liked it. It is a mature, highly commercial piece of modern country music. It touched me, and if songs reach out and do that, it’s a damn good album.
By Lorraine Foley
I hope you liked reading the review. If you did, come back again, as we have so many more great features and reviews coming up. We also have poetry, quizzes and our own merchandise. You get all this for free, but do buy me a coffee on the link if you want to show your appreciation!
https://rockthejointmagazine.com/merchandise/