For those of us starting to wonder if punching people in the face until they go unconscious in some kind of modern gladiatorial arena, for the delight and delectation of the compliant international diplomatic corps, was now the pinnacle of American cultural activity, then we have good news for you here on this Bluegrass Tuesday. Sad Daddy on Bootlegger focus in more on the wholesome activity of a shared beverage, although as they switch from wine to gin to rum to… there is a slight hint that they are, perhaps, not too discerning in their choices. But, heck, at least it’s lighthearted.
Sad Daddy is Brian Martin, Melissa Carper, Joe Sundell, and Rebecca Patek; Ozark Shine is their first album since 2022’s Way Up In The Hills. Written and sung by Brian Martin, Bootlegger began as a half-finished idea that sat dormant for more than a decade before finally finding its footing during sessions for the new record. What emerged, they describe as a darkly rollicking Ozark lament; equal parts old-time country noir, front-porch stomp, and hard-won reckoning.
