Marley’s Ghost – “Honky Tonk” Review

Just follow a pop singer long enough, and they’re bound to hit upon your favourite style of music eventually. It’s just the way it goes. They’ll try rock music when there’s a need to sell concert tickets. They’ll go for reggae, EDM, or even jazz when the trends suggest they must make a move. And, inevitably, they’ll try to show their soulfulness and love of their roots of pop music with an Americana record at some point. 

And, while sure, you can argue that music’s just a bunch of sounds produced, hopefully, in key that we use to entertain ourselves, does anyone actually believe that? Music and sports are chief of the most important unimportant things, of course. And, it’s only natural that you’ll demand something to properly represent the essence of those things and to reward your commitment. 

Marley’s Ghost’s “Honky Tonk” a deep-grooved collection of rootsy North American music. It’s a collection of songs assembled with gratitude and delivered with the utmost of care. “Honky Tonk” is made up of 14 cover songs, mostly country, blues and folk, that, while not underground, wouldn’t be the first selections that the aforementioned pop singer would reach for either. 

Just listen to the opening track, “Invitation to the Blues,” a song originally penned by the always clever and charming Roger Miller. Marley’s Ghost focuses on delivering a pristine, soulful version, one that’s well-pitched and nicely played. 

And if this experienced combo gives a lot of attention to sounding neat and professional, it’s because, at its heart, Country & Western music isn’t a style to be approached by anyone but musicians at the top of their game. 

You’ll get a good glimpse into the band’s collective strength on the swaggering “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line” with slinky slide lines and doncha-know-I-mean-business vocals. You’ll hear it on the retro-styled, excellently recorded and produced “Rockin’ Chair Money.”  

If your musical education has happened to occur in the direct vicinity of this style of music, some of the songs and most of the sounds will be familiar to you. Yet, beyond the pop stars travelling to Nashville, even most of the modern country bands that approach this kind of music nowadays do it with the kind of ironic wink that’s unbecoming of these kinds of songs. 

By contrast, Honky Tonk tries to give audiences jukebox-perfect renditions. These are modern recordings with an old flair, old songs delivered with style, a party where a competent band plays the oldies. This isn’t just a document of so-called “americana.” Marley’s Ghost know where the roots grow, but also know that this music needs nurturing if it’s going to keep on growing.