The Dirty Guv'nahs - Hearts On Fire (2014)

One of my favorite things to do once in a while is challenge myself and decide to review an album far from my usual style.This time around I chose to go with The Dirty Guv’nahs, a band with a unique sound. They’re a mix of roots/rock with alternative country mixed in. Think Lady Antebellum with a more accessible and rock sound. Coming from Knoxville, TN the band has been named Best Band in Knoxville several times by the readers of Metro Pulse, a Knoxville based newspaper. Their fourth album(third LP), “Hearts on Fire”, follows “Somewhere Beneath These Southern Skies”, a project funded in only three days through a Kickstarter campaign.

This album opens with the ballad “Where We Stand”, an interesting choice considering most albums start with a powerful track with lots of rhythm. Nevertheless, the song is quite possibly the best on the album. Tracks like “Morning Light”, “Lovin’” and “Ever Start to Wonder” all pick up the pace along the way, getting more and more rock sounding than the previous song.

Lead singer Justin Trimble’s voice is powerful and soulful and gives off a blues/gospel feel especially during the song “Morning Light” when he’s accompanied beautifully on the guitar by Cozmo Holloway and Michael Jenkins.

Even though I really enjoyed the album, what bothered me along the way was the lack of “Dirty” from “Dirty Guv’Nahs”. This album seems polished, almost overly polished and the rock from rock/roots is pretty much absent from this album. The album is still good and is a great way to introduce yourself to alternative country.