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.