'Country Coming Down' by Paul Cauthen
Texas-based singer-songwriter Paul Cauthen often comes off as a honky-tonk Elvis when he delivers, in a rich and bass-leaning tenor, the 10 compelling and colorful songs on Country Coming Down. The guy sure has a way with words, declaring he’s “Country as Fuck” on the album’s close-to-the-bone first single and then delving further into satire on “Country Clubbin’” (complete with a disco beat and breathy female backing vocals). He embraces faux rural hip-hop on “Champagne & a Limo” and stomps his way through the latter-day Lynyrd Skynyrd-style Southern rocker “Fuck You Money.” But before you can say “hot dog holly golly dagnabbit,” Cauthen turns dark on “Till the Day I Die” and “Roll on Over,” his voice soulful and reflective.
Taken collectively, the bold, witty and articulate songs spanning Country Coming Down’s compact 33-minute running time will make you wish you could sit down with the dude and guzzle a beer (or six). What’s more, you don’t even have to listen to country music every day to get a kick out of this record. In fact, it’ll probably sound better if you don’t.
Paul Cauthen will play The Cooperage on June 9, with David Ramirez.
