Well they’ve done it. The Whiskey Club (formerly Sunday Evening Whiskey Club) have made their best record yet, finally nailing down the sound they have been chasing all these years. Recorded and mixed by the band themselves, they were able to take their time and methodically work the songs to get them sounding just right. The result is an album that will make you smile, dance and ponder the wonderful complexities of life. As soon as you hit play, the music comes charging out of the speakers with first track My Oh My showcasing the chicken pickin’ talents of lead guitarist Jason Goessl and the tight vocal harmonies of lead vocalist Mark Pessl, banjo player Eric Piippo and bassist Paul Beaudry. Next up is Big Rig, a classic trucker song about finally coming home to your lady and then into the rock and roll of Morning Light with its fat walking bass line and Dream Girl featuring a lead guitar line that is vaguely reminiscent of late 70’s Rolling Stones. From there the band heads into solid country territory with the two-step groove of Little Lies, the cathartic pulse of Into Flames and the up-tempo shuffle of Love You to Death, with drummer Dave Bush keeping the groove crisp and steady throughout. Walkin’ features a slinky blues pattern while giving guitarist Goessl room to show his stuff in the extended solo and then things settle in nicely with the rimshot lope of Old Wood River. Pessl says he is particularly proud of Old Wood River because he wrote it on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska without having a single instrument to work with. The final section of the album features the mountain pop of Homesick Blues, the country shimmy of So Damn Pretty and the closer Every Time with its 50’s doo wop guitar chimes and plaintive vocals lamenting a lost love. The album is a joy from start to finish, with a solid country foundation, clever songwriting and solid musicianship. credits releases April 14, 2017 All songs written by Mark Pessl Mark Pessl, acoustic guitar, lead vocals David Bush, drums Eric Piippo, banjo, dobro, vocals Jason Goessl, guitar Paul Beaudry, bass, saw, vocals, mandolin, organ, piano Recorded and Mixed: Paul Beaudry Mastered: Evan Schiller Album design: Andy Seaver