(Shock)

Will make you proud to be American

You’re a country fan. You appreciate the song as a storytelling medium. When the chips are down, you find solace in its tales of heartbreak, rural spirit and working-class woe. You understand it’s not about the musical variety, but the heart and soul of the performer. You can sense this strength in the work of Kevin Welch. You recognise his worldly lyrical craftsmanship (“Kurosawa was a samurai, Achilles was a gimp”) as a cut far above the rest. You admire the emotional power of his drawl and the dexterity of his acoustic twanging. You look past the glaring genre clichés and pay this very serious and personal record due respect, listening from start to finish with a straight face. And you sure as hell aren’t reading a Brisbane street press for music recommendations.

ALASTAIR CRAIG

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