Moonshine rock!
This writer has always considered Hayseed Dixie to exist for nothing more than novelty value and even at that, a novelty act that were outshone in the genre they were claimed to excel in. For those of you who haven’t heard of The Gourds, you’d be advised to check them out and their version of Snoop Doggs ‘Gin N Juice’, which is not only possibly the greatest country take of a different genre type song but actually comes across as a tremendous song in its own right.
Hayseed Dixie may have the touring tradition and the publics vote but the general public and taste don’t always go hand in hand and theres always been something more cheesy than cool about them and have never sparked any interest around these parts.
Its therefore with interest that ‘No Covers’ came our way and guess what, it features all original material but never fear fans of the band, it still has the same musical style and what appears to be the same humorous outlook on life.
Banjos and bluegrass are still two of the most important factors in Hayseed Dixie’s world and that’s always going to be a division for some people, if you don’t like that sort of thing, no matter how good the songs are, they’re never going to mean anything to you and Hayseed Dixie have that to contend with, so how does the album sound.
Its pretty melodious and one of the most pleasing aspects are the backing vocals and how they interweave with the music around it. ‘Set Myself On Fire’ is an early highlight and a lot of this is down to the ensemble blaring out the repeated chorus and its kinda infectious, no doubt the type of thing that would get the crowd roaring at one of their hoe-downs.
For all that the band like it to be thought they are rebellious and are sticking it to the man with their crazy versions, the intro to ‘Stephanie Come To Me Secretly’ proves they are merely playing at it and have their mainstream interests at heart. Its opened by a telephone answering message which slaughters a persons character and although it builds to a swearing conclusion, it meekly shies away from this and uses a few polite terms instead. And this the point of Hayseed Dixie, its fun for all the family that hints at a bit of cheekiness and will give the odd wink to the adults in an attempt to make it seem like a big joke, which in fairness, it is.
They may come across as the redneck hicks but with songs about taxes and the economy, theres more to Hayseed Dixie than the songs about moonshine and horizontal square dancing would have you believe.
The good news for fans is that although the material is no longer based on covers, the same Hayseed Dixie spirit shines through and the new tracks are bound to make a positive impression at the countless live dates the band will have lined up.
The bad news for non-fans is that although the material is no longer based on covers, the same Hayseed Dixie spirit shines through and the new tracks are bound to make a similar impression at the countless live dates the band will have lined up.
You pays your money, you take your choice, which is an attitude that Hayseed Dixie will no do doubt thoroughly approve of.