Seven

Sarah Shook has been writing songs since she was knee high to a grasshopper. Her brief stint as a solo indie acoustic performer ended promptly after she wrapped her ears around the likes of Hank Williams, Roger Miller, George Jones, and Hasil Adkins for the first time. Those voices, that sound, and the music that encapsulated the heart and soul of a younger American generation set her on a lifelong path. With band members Jon Baughman on upright bass, Phil Sullivan on lap steel, and Eric Peterson on electric guitar, Sarah Shook has found a truly remarkable country sound that all four players cultivate incessantly. With every freshly written song, each member of the band collectively weighs in on arrangement, tempo, general feel, and execution. The result is a satisfying work in which all members can take pride and listeners can't help but note it's unique and cohesive quality. If you could dig a song out of the American soil, steep it in bourbon, and smoke it like a cigarette at 2am on your front porch, it might sound something like the numbers Sarah Shook & the Devil churn out.