Simon RushworthBrooks & Dunn — Reboot II (Sony Music Nashville)
To be honest Brooks & Dunn had us hooked at ‘Halestorm does Boot Scootin’ Boogie’.
Then there’s The Cadillac Three turning their hand to She Likes To Get Out Of Town.
HARDY’s take on Hillbilly Deluxe simply had to sound good?
And the decision to kick things off with the new queen of Music City — Lainey Wilson — and the iconic Play Something Country meant there was only one contender for this week’s Record Of The Week.
Reboot II really doesn’t disappoint.
According to the record’s legendary architects, this was always meant to be a raucous upgrade on 2019’s original Reboot.
And, in truth, that pre-pandemic reimagining of country music gold does sound rather tame by comparison.
“We actually went off the rails, in a good way,” claims Ronnie Dunn.
He’s not kidding.
Reboot II is nothing short of revelatory in terms of its ambitious creative scope and stunning soundscape.
According to Kix Brooks there were no boundaries as country’s fastest-rising stars were handed the keys to a raft of back catalogue boot kickers.
And given the freedom to flex their musical muscles, a plethora of famous faces set about rewriting the country music rule book.
Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll and Riley Green never sounded so good.
Hailey Whitters has a blast on She’s Not The Cheatin’ Kind.
But Lzzy Hale inevitably steals the show as she drives Brooks and Dunn so far from their comfort zone it almost hurts.
Reboot II is II good.
Wilson, Wallen, Worthington, Whitters and more!
Who knows how much thought went into positioning the 18 tracks here.
But whoever juxtaposed Halestorm with Mitchell Tenpenny, Wilson with Wallen and Jake Worthington with Whitters — take a bow.
There’s a fabulously unpredictable flow to a near flawless record as one hit after another takes on a vibrant new life.
Brooks and Dunn’s ‘Merle Haggard meets the Rolling Stones’ style has spawned 20 number one hits.
And the duo have lined up another hot ticket headline tour across the US starting next March.
But the kings of country cool are also the masters of ripe reinvention.
Students of the genre know their work inside out.
But perhaps it needs Nashville’s new breed to celebrate a legacy that may well be lost on a whole new generation of country music devotees.
In that respect Reboot II does the job. Perfectly.
Jelly Roll’s Believe collab is a laid-back, reflective triumph.
We’ve always loved the neat lyrical twist at the heart of How Long Gone and the Earls Of Leicester wrap a top tune in layers of luscious bluegrass.
Of course Wilson couldn’t fail to kick some sass on Play Something Country.
And Corey Kent is the perfect choice to set the seal on Reboot II — his contribution to Only In America is a thrill.
Brooks & Dunn — & the rest — done good.
