Hillbilly Bone

Who else but Trace Adkins could help Blake Shelton nourish his inner hick on “Hillbilly Bone”? The title-track to this six song EP grooves with a “Cripple Creek”-inspired bumpkin-funk while the two New Traditional troubadours wax country mouse by suggesting that any and everyone has a little redneck soul inside of them. “Kiss My Country A\*s” draws a line in the dirt and dares any naysayers to cross it. The sappy “You’ll Always Be Beautiful” hoodwinks listeners by starting out like a typical Nashville produced power ballad before the strangely sidesplitting lyrics unravel to reveal a hilarious parody on maudlin country music ballads. The rootsy “Can’t Afford to Love You” could be the catchiest number here with a grappling melody that blossoms under grinding Hammond organ, burning guitar twang and some customary I’m-just-a-poor-country-boy-playing-out-of-his-league lyrics. “Delilah” is the most country steeped ditty here, punctuated by lovelorn/second-chance musing, mandolin picking, phased Telecaster leads, flowing pedal steel notes and fiddles that saw right through the song with crystalline clarity.

You know you’re in trouble when your marketing strategy is the most interesting thing about your new album.