Reviewed by Peter Bate

Country music, so popular in the US, still seems to have a bit of an image problem over here. So much so that The Good Sons' publicist appears intent on avoiding the 'c' word when describing their sound. But that's what this band peddle - and it's not half bad either. Those who've seen them at Greenbelt will know the four-piece travel down a similar railroad to Steve Earl, with whom they've performed, and The Jayhawks. Their backbone consists of Michael Weston King's Nashville twang, belying his Lancashire origins, and Phil Abram's jangly, graceful guitar. Tracks on their third album bounce between kick-butt rockouts and emotive ballads while King, whose deft songwriting has earned him acclaim both sides of the pond, mixes images of regret and failure with hope in the next world. A group who, to their credit, make country music palatable to outsiders.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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