Hillbilly Rock. A phrase that sounds so very wrong and yet so freakin’ RIGHT. Hayseed Dixie are back with a new banjo-tastic album, this time a mixture of original songs as well as the covers they are so well known for. Rather than focusing on covering one band like some of their previous releases (AC/DC, Kiss and Mountain Love to name but a few) they have managed to re-interpret a whole host of musical excellence, from Queen, to Black Sabbath and yes, even Mozart. 

It may all sound like a bit of silly fun but while the album provides a very entertaining listen, these guys aren’t just messing around. They are a very talented bunch and take on each massive song they are covering and perform it with believable conviction and gusto. Each track they cover is definitely worth a listen but the true highlight of the album, for myself at least, is their version of The Prodigy’s huge hit ‘Omen’. Their use of quick-paced banjo, sweeping violins and shouty vocals all make for a truly fresh-sounding take on an already great track.

While the cover songs are undoubtedly the best part of the album, the band also offers us up 7 original songs which deserve a little recognition from us. One of the highlights of the album is ‘In The Backyard’, a jaunty, up-beat tune worthy of a good old knees-up (albeit with some dark undertones in the lyrics). Special mention must also go out to ‘Underneath The Bed’ for possibly some of the greatest opening lyrics OF ALL TIME; “Who put that condom in my shoe…?” Who indeed. The album not only offers us a mix of belting cover songs and fun original tracks, the band have also given us a special treat in the form of a bonus DVD. Not only does this include music videos but we are also offered the chance to mess with the audio files and re-mix the tracks…if we are so inclined to do such things. All in all, definitely one to pick up for your next hoe-down.