Hayseed Dixie - Killer Grass
Review by Jack Foley
BY THEIR own admission, Hayseed Dixie’s latest album is either their “absolute greatest musical achievement or absolute worst offence yet”!
It’s actually a bit of both. The new release contains seven original songs and six Rockgrass re-interpretations of previously known works by everyone from Mozart to Queen to The Prodigy.
All the tracks focus on themes of killing and death, which gave inspiration to the album’s name.
Hayseed Dixie have long been a ban that we’ve begrudgingly been forced to admire. They shouldn’t be at all good… but their rockgrass brand of banjo strumming often gives rise to some thrilling musical compositions… as well as some downright crap.
Hence, with tracks like Alien Abduction Probe they qualify for crap.
But rather like the Soggy Bottom Boys plying their [dishonest] trade in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, Hayseed Dixie deliver some rousing cover versions.
Take Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody as, arguably, their crowning glory… a ramshackle homage to one of the great rock songs of all time that somehow works with its rapid-fire banjo licks and blue-grass approach.
You may think “what the f**k….!” But you may also be tapping your feet furiously along with it… and headbanging a la Wayne’s World to the rockgrass rockout!
Omen, meanwhile, is a mixture of classic Prodigy moments which somehow manages to make a big dance anthem like Firestarter seem bluegrass hip. You’ve just gotta sit back and admire their balls-out audacity.
Elsewhere, Mozart gets a look-in with the utterly bonkers Eine Kleine Trinkmusik, which sends the banjos and violins into competitive overdrive. It’s surprisingly good, rousing fun.
Other highlights include Norfolk Girl, one of the original numbers that showcases Hayseed Dixies’ own songwriting talents, and the raw, ragged Underneath The Bed, which kicks off with the dirty line: “Who put that condom in my shoe?”
Two more tracks worthy of a mention: Won’t Get Fooled Again, a rousing cover version of one of The Who’s seminal tracks, and their cover of Hank Williams’ Ramblin’ Man, which just feels right as a bluegrass record.
Hayseed Dixie may be a novelty act for most mainstream listeners who stumble upon them… but they do have a certain amount of talent to match their revellry.
Killer Grass is an oddity… but one that throws up plenty of delights.
Download picks: Bohemian Rhapsody, Omen, Won’t Get Fooled Again, Ramblin’ Man, Norfolk Girl, Underneath The Bed
Track listing: