As one of the two members of Foo Fighters who could jump into their own moshpit and not be recognised – the other being wotsisname on bass – guitarist Chris Shiflett is a man who can slip out of his milieu without anyone noticing.
But all credit to his work ethic. Not one to rest on his laurels, while there’s some downtime from the day job, Shiflett dons a Stetson and cowboy boots to make his third foray into the world of country music.
With producer Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) at the helm, the sound is pure Bakersfield, with elements of honky-tonk thrown in, and country staples such as pedal steel all present and correct.
Alas, despite such elements in place, Shiflett offers no new perspective on a genre that can all too often rely on tried and tested formulas, and the result is a triumph of mediocrity.
Sticks And Stones is the kind of thing even Ryan Adams would reject during one of his over productive periods. Elsewhere, Still Better Days is the sound of The Rembrandts’ I’ll Be There For You being repurposed for line dancing. Accordingly, it’ll be totally forgotten about come Glastonbury.
