Down On the Bikini Line

His stage name, album title, and even the cover art give the impression that Jonny Corndawg is a tongue-in-cheek goofball spin on the outlaw and truck-driving country traditions. But listen closely and you’ll hear a well-crafted batch of hilarious and occasionally poignant songs. Corndawg serves up R-rated humor worthy of Shel Silverstein (“Shaved Like a Razor,” “Red On the Head,” “Silver Panty Liners”) and blue-collar wisdom like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings (“Fools and Sages,” “Dog On a Chain”). There’s also an ode to long-haul truckers (“Night Rider”) and a pair of classic car songs, the revved-up “Chevy Beretta” and the honky- tonk standout “When a Ford Man Turns to Chevy.” But just when you think you have him pegged Corndawg delivers “Undercover Dad,” a tender tale about a father sneaking a peek at his daughter’s diary with unexpected results. Backed by an ace band that includes John J. McCauley (Deer Tick, Middle Brother) on guitar, Corndawg’s high-pitched and reedy West Virginia twang is as endearing as it is sincere. He’s silly for sure, but serious as well, and pulling off both takes a deft songwriting touch.

Irreverence and country music don’t often mix, and it’s rarer still for them to mix successfully. Sincerity and emotional directness are inherent to the genre, and attempts to nullify those qualities with ironic distance mostly come off as jokey or even condescending to the form. Jonny Corndawg arouses immediate…

Irreverence and country music don’t often mix, and it’s rarer still for them to mix successfully. Sincerity and emotional directness are inherent to the genre, and attempts to nullify those qualities with ironic distance mostly come off as jokey or even condescending to the form. Jonny Corndawg arouses immediate…