Don't believe the hipsters: There's nothing wrong with mainstream country music. Sure, it has its share of cookie-cutter forgettables; however, the same can be said for any genre of music. Dave Dykins (http://davedykins.net) is an independent country artist with a sound that is carefully carved for FM radio. But this is not generic, faceless country music; rather, it's well-performed, catchy, and even sometimes funny country music.
Humor has become a neglected element in country music these days, which is why "Temporary Insanity" and the Bruce Springsteen-ish "Road Rage" have been spinning in my CD player non-stop the past few weeks. I like how these somewhat subversive and twisted tunes found themselves on a fairly straightforward country album with the usual tear-stained love letters and even a homage to NASCAR.
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But Dykins isn't content with a single style. "Temporary Insanity" flirts with rockabilly while "Road Rage" has some pretty aggressive electric guitars. Dykins goes retro with "Feeling No Pain," recalling the Golden Age of Hank Williams, Sr., while venturing into alt-country on "Love Is Blind."
There's not a bum cut on there; every song has a reason for existence and for being in your iPod, should that be your listening HQ of choice.
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