Boozy, twangy garage-rock

Natural Child have always been loudly, lovingly, and very deliberately untamed, fully embracing their country-rocking, beer chugging, and fun loving tendencies. Though their latest effort, Dancin‰’ with Wolves, may be slightly better produced and a touch more professionally recorded than their previous records, none of this has been lost, with their music evoking images of knocking back a few cold ones with your dad or pulling out the ol‰’ six string with a few of your boys. The songs here range from country tinged garage rock to full on country tunes in the vein of Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard, even utilizing a pedal steel on a number of songs. Subject matter isn‰’t far from what you would expect, with Natural Child professing the joys of a Saturday night, liquor induced gleeful delirium, and their love of Nashville, among much else. They slow it down a few times on the record, providing the soundtrack to an emptying bar with scant few couples who‰’ve yet to clear out, and providing just the change of tempo the record needs to stop from getting redundant. It‰’s a joyful, raucous listen from front to back and, so long as you check all illusions of artistry or pretension at the door, one that you could put on at just about any party you find yourself at.

RIYL: King Tuff, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6