Brooklyn Cowboys—Doin’ Time on Planet Earth

The Brooklyn Cowboys are a breath of ripsnorting, hoof pounding excitement blasting out of the wide open vistas of the sister city, Brooklyn, USA. Consisting of what could be called a "supergroup," the crew is co-founder Walter Egan on guitar, Buddy Cage on pedal steel (NRPS), Michael "Supe" Granda on bass (Ozark Mountain Daredevils), B. J. Thomas’ on keys, co-founder Fredrough Perry on drums and the vocal beauty of Joy Lynn White. Their groove is equal parts Nashville, New Riders, George Jones and Merle Haggard. They s-kick, wail, cry and slow dance as good as any you can name and, for all that, they’re NYC homeboys. Fitting into the chugging mode of country informed by the string majesty of bluegrass and honky-tonk rock-and-roll, the disk is a cantina in full flight. Echoes of Gram Parsons reverberate throughout and especially with the inclusion of his last song, "Carolina Calypso," co-written with Egan. The multi-cultural currents of Tex-Mex, Bakersfield and blue-eyed soul blend into a shining moment of plucking, sliding and jumping good timing. Particular favs? Well, "Californ," the story of a miss-born Gothamite, "Wishful Drinkin’," a tale of hope in a bottle, "Exquisite Torture," a tears in my beer masterpiece and the joyful "What The…??!!!." It’s Nashville with a NYC edge that’ll bring a toe-tapping, thigh-slapping good time to you. If not, then "Fugeddaboudit…y’all."—Mark Gresser