Chase Christie, braintrust for the Whisky Richards, gets to have it both ways. He wants the band to sound good and have fun, and their self-titled EP/CD does just that.
Kicking off with a country-rockin’ working man’s anthem, “Steel Drivin’ Man,” the band fires on all of its six cylinders — drums, bass, rhythm, lead guitar, harmonica and fiddle — to remind us that the workin’ man “don’t get no breakfast in bed.” Things slow down for “Kentucky Don’t You Know,” an idealized snapshot of the Bluegrass State, then they pick right back up with the easy-rollin’, self-explanatory “Hard Drinking without You,” followed by the instrumental “Curley’s Dream,” and closing with the fifth and final song, another drinkin’ tune called “Bottle Gone Dry.”
This is everything a first EP should be. It showcases the band’s bopping country side while providing space for a ballad, instrumental and opening rocker. They can be proud of this calling card.
