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The new Go-Go Boots (ATO) has been described as the band's spin on country soul, in contrast to their usual southern-fried rock—though neither tag does them justice. Drive-By Truckers play tonight and Saturday at the Vic in support of the album, which salutes country-soul pioneer and tragic and tortured genius Eddie Hinton with a couple of covers. (David Hood, father of DBT coleader Patterson Hood, played behind Hinton as a studio musician at Muscle Shoals in the 70s.) My favorite tunes on Go-Go Boots are Patterson Hood's originals, though: it's got a few of his usual southern-gothic tales of murder, infidelity, and hypocrisy (both the title track and the epic "The Fireplace Poker," which you can hear below, describe preachers offing their spouses), and the tender opening cut, "I Do Believe," is a sweet remembrance of his grandmother full of details like "I was only five years old / Riding in your top-down Mustang." The material written and sung by Mike Cooley is looser and less heavy, with a stronger country twang—multiple songwriters with different approaches create a lot of the band's depth and range. One of these weekends I definitely need to pull out their other albums.
Drive-By Truckers: "The Fireplace Poker":
photo: Danny Clinch
Today's playlist:
Kneebody, You Can Have Your Moment (Winter & Winter)
Martial Solal, At Newport '63 (RCA Victor)
Various artists, Gumboot Guitar: Zulu Street Guitar Music From South Africa (Topic)
Russ Freeman/Richard Twardzik, Trio (Pacific Jazz)
Sweet Talks, The Kusum Beat (Soundway)
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