The Hotdamns: …And Justice For Y’All

By: Dennis Cook

Blowing in with the natural force of young Emmylou and Gram, sweet country angled music that seems plucked from a field or snatched off the wind like a dandelion, The Hotdamns latest EP, …And Justice For Y’All, is a winner and a half. This Richmond, VA band pours out tune after tune that make you want to sing, savoring their wit and tunefulness, which take one back to the great outpouring of country rock in the late ’60s through the late ’70s with an inviting flair for heartache and humor. If the Opry had any sense they’d already be booking these kids and there’s plenty here for electric folkies fond of Fairport Convention and The Byrds, too. Fantastic harmonies and energetic playing underpin the consistently excellent alternating female/male lead vocals, which have real character in this Pro-Tools/Auto-Tune homogenized era, Dani Ahart and David Reed Hughes proving themselves obvious descendents of Merle Haggard, Jeanie C. Riley, Bobby Bare and Loretta Lynn. Yeah, that’s The Hotdamns’ quality bedrock and this set shows the foundations of something terrifically solid coming together. Can’t wait for the full-length!

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