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Everette 'Keys to Kentucky' EP Review: The country duo strip back their sound and bring some Southern hospitality to their music





Country roots duo, Everette are used to cranking up their sound and playing their brand of Americana to large venues like the Grand Ole Opry. It wasn't always that way, the Kentucky duo started of their 16-year partnership playing in college bars and their new EP represents a stripped-back version, reminiscent of their early days.


Tracks like 'High and Lonesome' and 'Keys to Kentucky' have been staples in their setlist for a few years, but it's not until you hear all the unplugged tracks in one complete work that you realise just how well this sound suits them. The glossy finish of their usual songs makes them rip for county radio and big arenas, their tight harmonies remain throughout the tracks but there's something raw and intimate about this latest collection of sounds that makes these songs stand out.


The EP reconnects them with their humble beginnings as musicians and the roots of their musical heritage. They never quite get into real shit-kicking levels on tracks like 'High and Lonesome' and the excellent punchy 'Trippin'- although you want them to tap into that bluegrass sound. This may well be something they expand on in the future as it would certainly suit this more organic feel to their music.


There's a humility and a heady nostalgia on tracks like 'Keys to Kentucky' and 'Picnic Table' that bring Southern hospitality to the fore, but also keep things on the level. The hard-hitting 'Another Man Down' showcases Everette's songwriting and calls to mind Neil Young's 'Needle and the Damage Done', and the raw arrangement on the track puts the story to the front and centre of the track.


While Evertte has always been a duo to take their music seriously, these paired-back songs bring out their maturity, diversity and abilities and prove that they are more than worthy of the big stages they play.


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