Rich Mahan- Hot Chicken Wisdom (click on image to watch video)

 13 November 2019

While Rich Mahan’s may have called his last album Blame Bobby Bare, it’s clear Bare is still near and dear to this Nashville singer’s heart. And it’s not just Bare who is clearly influencing Mahan’s world, but a whole slew of stellar ‘70s cosmic country-rock hippies like Shel Silverstein, Dr. Hook, and even Willie.  

Like those before him, Mahan has a knack for writing witty songs that almost (ALMOST) always land thanks to an ability to deftly balance on the line between outrageousness and charming. Even a song like “I Smoke Pot” is so likeable, you’re likely to catch your Nana singing along to it. And “Day Drinking” adds yet another necessary song to the cannon of drinking songs that you weren’t even aware we needed.

So, let’s get to the one slip-up on this otherwise great album; the one case where his humor and wit clearly got away from him: “Tick On My Taint.” If Blink 182 and Limp Bizkit were tasked with writing a juvenile country song, I don’t think even they would have the courage to turn this one in. That song alone could be the best argument yet against “artistic freedom”. 

But rest assured he manages to make up for that one anomaly with songs like the “Hippie In the City” or “Boots Off”. And while his humor is front in center for most of the record, he does a wildly impressive, straight forward take on the Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody,” and a worthy cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Loose Lucy,” heralding another side of Mahan. Not bad for his sophomore effort.

John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.

Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine

twitter @jbmoore00

To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here

fShare

Tweet