Early Morning Shakes

Whiskey Myers’ cover of David Allan Coe’s “Need a Little Time Off for Bad Behavior” assures fans that the Texas quintet haven’t lost their spitballs on the Dave Cobb–produced *Early Morning Shakes*. Cobb (who also produced Jason Isbell’s acclaimed *Southeastern* album and artists such as Jamey Johnson and Waylon and Shooter Jennings) knows his share about how to keep a tough Southern rock band close enough to their roots to be real without losing the band’s individual identity. Here, singer Cody Cannon handles the reflective songs—“Shelter from the Rain,” “Reckoning”—with a heart-tugging authenticity that would make Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant proud. The title track, “Hard Row to Hoe,\" and “Lightning” trudge with tough hard rock from Cody Tate and John Jeffers’ electric guitars and an uncompromising groove from Jeff Hoggs’ drums and Gary Brown’s basslines. Touches of The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Willie Nelson, and Skynyrd (of course) all poke through Whiskey Myers\' own expert playing.