Lonesomeville starts out DocFell & Co.’s “Dust Bowl Heart”, a rapid track that links together 1950s and 1960s country with dusty desert rock, a hint of rockabilly, and is tied together through the musical arrangements that immediately take listeners’ breaths away.
The Less I Know draws on 1970s and 1980s country with pretty hard rock (The Outlaws) elements that make this into a big, bold single. The presence of an accompanying vocal here ensures that the song will be tattooed deep into the minds and hearts of fans. Home On The Hill slows down Dust Bowl Heart a bit, showcasing the wonderful dynamic that the dual vocals, the careful guitars, lap steel, and on-point percussion crafts. The titular effort from Dust Bowl Heart is a track that works as well in 2017 as it would have in 1987. Where the tendency now is to insert pop sensibilities into modern country music, DocFell & Co does their darnedest to refresh and restore some of the luster that country & western originally had. The presence of a fuzzy guitar line and a “party-country” (imagine Jimmy Buffett and John Melloncamp) sound to this cut is a fun find; one will find it hard to not stand up and dance when it comes to this outing.
Perfect production, fresh takes on an earlier sound, and a set of performers with some serious pipes make Dust Bowl Heart into a must-listen album. This Machine is the final track on the album, bringing a bouncy bass line and a gritty vocal snarl to the fore. The narrative quality of this track will have fans hanging on to every line, while the band creates a backing beat that is taut.
Top Tracks: The Less I Know, Home On The Hill, Dust Bowl Heart
Rating: 8.5/10
DocFell & Co. – “Dust Bowl Heart” / 2017 Self Released / 10 Tracks / https://docfellco.hearnow.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/docfellmusic/