Hank 3 – ‘Brothers Of The 4X4’

Finding his own niche, melding fiddle-and-banjo bluegrass with a punk style 'hellbilly'

As the grandson of country icon Hank Williams and son of country-rock superstar Hank Jr, country music is in Shelton “Hank” Williams III’s blood. But he’s carved his own niche, melding sparkling fiddle-and-banjo bluegrass

with punk in a style he calls “hellbilly”. This excellent eighth solo album again finds him honouring tradition while taking pride in his struggle to find his own path (“I’ve earned every one of my deep and lonely scars”, as he puts it). He lifts a motif from the Johnny Cash hit ‘Orange Blossom Special’ and turns it into a rollicking hoedown about hunting with his dogs (‘Looky Yonder Commin’), gives ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ a sassy, smutty rewrite (‘Held Up’), and laments overindulgence on “whiskey, pills and damn cocaine” (‘Hurtin’ For Certin’).

Angus Batey

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories