Seattle-born crooner Gus Clark (Country Lips) and the Least of His Problems follows-up Clark’s self-titled debut EP with A Bit of Country Music – a collection of classic barn burners, toe-tapping dance tunes, bittersweet ballads, and original songs. At the age of eighteen, Clark hit the road exploring the country via foot, freight train, and hitchhiking with only a backpack and a mandolin, cutting his teeth busking wherever he went. A decade later Clark has become quite the accomplished multi-instrumentalist (guitar, accordion, mandolin, and more) and now pays homage to golden era American music traditions, ranging from pre-WWII blues to 1960’s Nashville honky tonk. Album highlights include: the opening Porter Wagoner track “I’ll Go Down Swinging”; the country swing song “Drive These Blues Away”; a cover of the James A. Talley’s “Are They Gonna Make Us Outlaws Again”; the tearjerker “Please Come Home”; the Tommy Duncan and His Western All-Stars number “Sick, Sober and Sorry”; the Bob Nolan weeper “At the Rainbow’s End”; a lovely cover of Carroll Loveday’s and Nils Perne’s “Shrine of St. Cecilia”; and the closing cover of Jerry Allison’s and Sonny Curtis’ track (originally performed by the Everly Brothers) “The Last Song (I’m Ever Gonna Sing).” Gus Clark and the Least of His Problems A Bit of Country Music is an enjoyable listen. I look forward to hearing more original material on his next outing. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Country Lips, Charley Crockett, Justin Townes Earle, Lost Dog Street Band, Colter Wall