More heartache than hell-raising: The Cadillac Three have tampered with their hard-drinkin', southern-rockin' template

Album number six The Years Go Fast finds The Cadillac Three sounding all-growed up

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The Cadillac Three: The Years Go Fast cover art
(Image: © Big Machine)

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The Cadillac Three now have clear water between themselves and their first two albums (2012's Tennessee Mojo and 2016's Bury Me In My Boots). They began to cut themselves adrift from the hard-drinkin', southern-rockin' template on 2017's Legacy, then, following two albums released in 2020, took a break. 

The title chosen for their return suggests they've reappraised how they want to sound. Double Wide Grave, Comin' Down For You and Hillbilly are familiarly framed rockers in their 'country fuzz' style, but elsewhere things have changed. 

Young And Hungry has an almost new-wave feel, The Worst has them dabbling with synthesised percussion, and the ballad Love Like War exhibits shades of Tears For Fears. 

Jaren Johnston's accented voice maintains contact with their older work, but these lyrics speak more about loss and heartache than about hellraising. Clearly, he hasn't written 10 country number ones for others by being a one-trick pony.

Neil Jeffries
Neil Jeffries

Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.