Phil Lee is one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets, an extremely talented musician and songwriter who should have a wider following but somehow doesn’t. In the past 30 years, Lee has been everything from a truck driver to a knife thrower alongside a quiet career as a musician who mixes blues, folk and honky tonk set to stories from his colorful life. Lee’s visits to the studio are few and far between – his first release was 1999’s The Mighty King of Love followed by only three more. As indicated in the title of his latest, The Fall and Further Decline of the Mighty King of Love, Lee pokes fun at his slow progressing music career. Highlights include the Americana romps “Nobody but You” and “Somebody Oughta Do Something About That Guy”; the Cajun tinged “Les Deris, Ils Sont Blanc” (white trash); and the roots rocker “Night in the Box.” The Fall and Further Decline of the Mighty King of Love is a more than solid collection of Americana music, and whether you are new to Lee’s music or a already a fan, I recommend picking-up this album to help support a talented guy who is in it for the long haul. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | The Flying Burrito Brothers, Tom Petty, John Prine, Hank Williams Jr.