Tony Logue released his fourth studio album on February 21th, “Dark Horse“, almost seven years after his debut “Serpents and Saviors” and three years after the acclaimed “Jericho“. Produced by Sean Sullivan, it was recorded at the Tractor Shed Studio in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Backed by his band, The 184, Tony Logue’s new LP is an uncompromising album full of true stories, great music and brilliant songwriting. Those who know the western Kentucky native artist and listened to his previous albums won’t be surprised by his style and by the quality of the music and the storytelling. The newcomers will certainly appreciate the blend of country, americana, and rock & roll that runs through the whole album.
“Dark Horse” is a very homogeneous and coherent album, with a strong blue-collar style. Its twelve songs, all of them written or cowritten by Tony Logue, are raw and get straight to the point.
The cohesion of the album doesn’t mean that it’s monolithic. Most songs belong to southern rock, like the excellent “The Dawn“, the catchy and wonderfully written “Cinnamon Blonde“, the brilliant “Grindstone” and “Comin’ Home“, both cowritten with Derrick Rucker, Jason Munday (drummer for the 184) and Kyle Robertson (bass player for the 184), “Keep Me Sane“, cowritten with Cass Jones and Clint Park and the brilliant title track. They all combine rock and roll vibes, great guitars and drums with masterful songwriting.
Beyond southern rock, “Hammer” is a beautiful country song, with excellent pedal steel, and the catchy “Honey Suckles“, brilliantly written, is what I would consider as a red dirt song with some midwestern vibes.
This review wouldn’t be complete if I don’t mention the catchy “Yellow Rose“. This true gem is an evidence of Tony Logue’s talent when it comes to combining masterful storytelling with great music.
“Dark Horse” is a honest and authentic album. Its songs are not polished but rough and incisive. That’s why this album is so poignant. Pay close attention to this brilliant LP, y’all!
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 