C’mon darling let's rise and shine
Step outside and catch our stride
Feel the sun all upon our backs
And let this town know we’re never coming back

When you’ve made your peace with the city, explored its concrete wonders from a high rise view, the next natural destination is to take in the country. With their second album in 12 months, Elliott BROOD pick up where they left off on Town, heading further into personal territories with their companion piece, Country.

Playing on both the genre and its signpost sounds (twangy, electric guitars; sad but true lyrics tinged with humour, obligatory whiskey references) and the settings (the winding roads, a cozy abode, natural elements), Country deftly matches each of these touchstones with the other, creating a cross-border quilt full of stories that expand on Town’s intimate offerings.

Let’s go hang out for a while
Watch the heat pass us by
Let's hang low where they try to save them souls
You know the place where no one ever goes

Second single “C’Mon Let’s Go” starts up like a car engine, powered by a rumbling organ and a sense of melancholic mayhem. Alternating between major and minor, sweet, soft verses and grungey, spooky choruses, “C’mon Let’s Go” calls us on a tour of local hamlets with mischief in mind. The distorted backing vocals and guitars playfully add texture to the escapist’s tale, turning plaid clad backs to the worst things that have been done.

C’mon let's go
Don’t wanna be the one that’s left alone

Hitting on southern rock moments with “Postcard Pretty” and old Memphis waltzs (“They Never Want to Sing Along”), Country winds its way through the boundary lines at a frenzied pace (“Wind and Snow”) then slows to gentler speeds, bringing us satisfyingly around switchbacks and through long, sparse stretches. Windsor, ON may be their city of origin but the BROOD clearly convey that they can also be country lovers at heart.

Paying homage to a few of their musical heroes with covers of “Out of Time” (The Rolling Stones) and Rodney Crowell’s “Bluebird Wine”, with Country Elliott BROOD share pieces of their personal lives (“They Never Want to Sing Along”, “Wind and Snow”) and keep telling their favourite tales of country and kinfolk alike.

THE HORIZON LINE PLAYLIST:
Listen to this week's Horizon Line playlist inspired by Elliott BROOD's Country.