Yet The Cadillac Three are one of the only country bands flirting with rock that don’t come off as sell-out losers. The band is never less than completely authentic — it’s hard not to like them.

Part of that is because the band continues country’s time-honoured tradition of being America’s most fun party music. There aren’t many of the genre’s mopey songs on Bury Me in My Boots; instead, the band focuses on party tracks like “Hot Damn” and purposefully corny lyrical accompaniments like “You put the ‘hot’ in ‘hot damn.’”

At their best, the band is able to capture elements of rock and country at the same time. On “Soundtrack to a Six Pack”, the band captures the twangy timbre of country with the musical techniques of rock groups — complete with big riffs and power chords. It’s incredibly effective.

The band also has an incredible track pacing throughout the record that balances the country-flavoured tracks and the rock tracks quite well. “White Lightning” balances “Soundtrack to a Six Pack” well, reminding more traditional-favouring country listeners that The Cadillac Three aren’t forgetting about them. It’s a tricky balance, and the band nails it.

The tracks that are the most fun are perfect for summer: “Ship Faced” is the perfect party (or hangover) song. “Party Like You” is the perfect starter for a night at the country bar. The afore-mentioned “Slide”, “Peace Love & Dixie”, and “Hot Damn” are party monsters. There haven’t been rock tracks this good all summer.

A lot of Southern rockers can do good party songs — Kid Rock does great party songs despite making terrible music — but The Cadillac Three are the real deal. These guys have exactly the right attitude, the right swagger, the right verve. There’s nothing about them that feels out of place or fake. The nicest thing about Bury Me in My Boots that anybody could say is that it’s approachable, real country rock that’s perfect for a wide audience on a Friday night. The genre doesn’t get better than that.

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Stiff is a rock album imitating some of the best soul records. It’s still loaded with the riffs the band has become known for — complicated musicianship and guitar lines that take precedence over the vocal routines — but the vibe of the record is retro-based, with influences that range from James Brown and Gary Clark Jr.

Ha Ha Ha (Yeah) is a perfect example of this: a guitar riff that’s clearly sole-influenced matched to the riff-heavy style that White Denim comes from.

It’s worth talking about White Denim’s origins, too. Hailing from Austin, the band is in a position to absorb everything going on there. The Dallas climate is filled with singers like Leon Bridges or bands like The Suffers, who are all respecting vintage traditional soul music. It makes sense that White Denim goes this route.

The soul influence results in two things: White Denim is now more easily identifiable, and after many albums, feel like they’ve come into their own identity. And their music is now more approachable than ever. That’s not to say that they’ve purposely set out to craft radio songs; it feels like that’s a natural byproduct of their newer influences.

Stiff is the sound of White Denim getting more comfortable with their heritage and where they come from. White Denim has never sounded so at ease, or mature. And while they might not have the same attention they had ten years ago, they’ve finally got a sound dialled in that feels completely theirs.

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I’ve referenced old-school Black Keys a lot, because it’s one of the easiest ways to reference a sound people know. In this case, the comparison between JJ Grey & Mofro stands true, but it doesn’t imply the depth and world-weariness that JJ Grey & Mofro bring to their music. This sounds more like if Jerry Cantrell (of Alice and Chains fame) were to make a country record rock. It’s great, authentic stuff, and a ton of fun.

In that sense, there’s a trend going on right now in rock music to emulate that old-school blues rock sound that country crossed over into for a while. What the bands who are emulating these sounds lack is the experience. JJ Grey & Mofro have been around a long time — since the mid–1990s, in fact — and you can tell these guys have heard it all and they just want to make fun southern-influenced party rock.

Country Ghetto is a record that your Dad could listen to, but it’s also a record you could get in on. It’s more fun than many of the albums today’s imitators are putting out.

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Every single review I read of this record is awful. It’s all “John Mayer throws women away and half the songs are about ex-girlfriends” and all that kind of stuff other less-popular musicians don’t have to put up with. But isn’t that what blues is about? It’s a relief to hear Mayer stick to what he knows.

I’m of the belief that John Mayer’s always been a good songwriter, despite some of his lesser records. While Paradise Valley is no Continuum, it’s his best since. It’s got a little blues, a little country, a lot of Americana, and a little more of an optimistic outlook than songs like Dreaming With a Broken Heart.

Want some great tracks from the album? Check out Wildfire, a nice intro to Mayer’s newest stylistic country. Waitin’ On the Day and Paper Doll are the most old-school like Mayer cuts. My personal favourite, I Will Be Found (Lost at Sea), is beautiful, and Badge and Gun is as breezy Americana as you could ever expect.

The real talk of the record is Who You Love, which features Katy Perry. We’re all talking about it because Perry’s on it. But the song sucks, naturally, despite Katy’s less in-your-face vocal mannerisms. It’s not a good fit for her sexually grandiose style — Perry singing softly doesn’t feel natural. It’s the stuck-up thumb on an otherwise great record.

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