Album Review: Abe & Boots, Cold Beach
Where exactly Abe & Boots hail from is a mystery - Berlin? Spain? The dead centre of Oklahoma?
Wherever it may be, they’ve got the confusing mythology of country music legend down pat, and some silly - and surprisingly solid - songs to back up all the pastiche.
The best country music either makes you weep or laugh, and Abe & Boots - the duo comprised of two men (possibly) named Abraham Goldstein and Boots McGuthrie - are planted firmly in the latter category. You could put on Cold Beach for your confused grandpa and probably take him on a genuinely nostalgic ride, but anyone paying close enough attention will feel the friendly irony at the band’s core.
However, you’ll also feel a winking and real appreciation for country music. The album is lighthearted without being a total joke, and some silly lyrics aside, the songs themselves - from opener “Galicia” to the rollicking harmonica of “Vitruvian Man” or lilting, Spanish closer “Ruego al Caballero” - are genuinely lovely. Abe & Boots are goofy proof that whatever your intentions, good country is good country - it’s hard to fake the feeling.
Cold Beach was released September 1, 2020 on Shaky Tooth Tapes.
Listen to it here.
Featuring original songs by Ken Harrower and Johnny Spence performed live alongside a country band.