In their latest single, titled “That Right There,” Russ Still and the Moonshiners continue to cultivate an old school country swing that has become increasingly difficult to find in the genre’s mainstream pool. Delivered with a passionate lead vocal that has become a bit of a signature attribute for Still, “That Right There” feels and sounds like a statement of self for the band behinds its conception, and while it’s not the first single they’ve cut to a warm reception from critics and fans the same, I think it’s one of the few that has potential to break through on the mainstream end sooner than later. Alternative country crooners have been celebrated all year long, but in this track, a player indebted to the traditions of this genre finds a way to sound more relevant than a lot of chart-toppers have in 2020.
WEBSITE: https://russstill.com/
Still takes a pretty tempered approach to every aspect of this recording, and despite the urgency of the rhythm, his overall execution is really disciplined and proportionate to what his backing band is putting up. The sway of the percussion desperately tries to pull us asunder on a couple of different occasions ahead of the chorus, but thanks to the buoyancy of the other instruments, we remain tethered to a light, easy melodic groove up top from beginning to end. “That Right There” is as much the product of careful arranging as it is a love of pure country music, which isn’t typical of the contemporary releases Nashville has been responsible for in this age.
The lyrics here feel more inspired by the music rather than the other way around, which, for me, only contributes to the authenticity of the artistry. Russ Still and the Moonshiners feel like a jam band that could come together on a lazy Sunday afternoon and suddenly get an entire crowd of people excited about a classic country beat, and while theirs is a self-controlled performance in “That Right There,” it isn’t without a certain free-spirited energy that has become all but impossible to acquire in much of the country pop output you’d encounter on the FM dial this October. This is just the right combo of modern and classical themes, and that’s enough to make it a must-listen in my book.
APPLE MUSIC: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/russ-still-and-the-moonshiners/id1152644278
Though mainstream country music is getting a little off-center from where it’s conventionally been, “That Right There” sees Russ Still and the Moonshiners refusing to back down from their philosophically old school aesthetics when it comes to making quality tunes. There’s nothing wrong with experimentation when it yields something smart and/or provocative, but with that said, what Still and his band are trying to accomplish with their career is far more rooted in allegiances to history than it is a desire to expand on a specific theme. It’s a conservative approach to take, but in the grander scheme of things, it’s exactly what this group needs to sound relatively unique (ironically) in a crowded talent pool throughout the American underground.
Jodi Marxbury