Nebraska based country rockers Shooter Jaxx launched in 2018 and are broadening their renown as a top-notch live unit with each passing year. Their original material is a big reason why. Perhaps their latest single “Honey Whiskey Lips” owes more to their bluesy inclinations than their other material, but bonafide country soul lurks beneath its raucous surface. They’ve come a long way since their first EP release, 2019’s Cabin Fever, and their growing confidence is unmistakable though never outright imitative. It is a band steeped in tradition, but they have their own voice, and it comes through during this single.
It’s an impressive acoustic tune, as well. This slightly rueful, but never venomous, turns on a clear and steady acoustic guitar strum. Gritty and deeply felt vocals go with the guitar and occasional, blues-soaked electric lead snakes at intermittent points throughout the song. There are light percussive touches present during the song, but the focus lands on the aforementioned duo throughout much of the track. Their talents for arranging and timing shine bright throughout the performance.
The lyrics will be familiar to anyone acquainted with the genre. There is an added veneer of sensitivity present in the writing, however, you will not hear with similar bands. The lead singer is beset with torment, he can’t depend on anything, but there’s ample strength in the interpretation. He is battered, but unbowed. It is no wonder that audiences respond so enthusiastically to the band’s material as it has the unmistakable ring of authenticity rather than sounding plotted out for maximum commercial effect. Shooter Jaxx’s star is rising, but on their terms and no one else.
They keep things condensed and sweet. Three minutes is a perfect running time for “Honey Whiskey Lips” and they forego any of the cliched turns defining so much of modern country rock. The burgeoning movement toward returning to first principles spreading like wildfire through roots music, particularly in the country vein, is a welcome pushback against corporate music peddled from Nashville today. Shooter Jaxx deserves to be among its vanguard and their creative powers will only grow stronger with time.
Many listeners will love the electric guitar sound they achieve. It’s fat, dripping with bourbon and blues, yet intensely melodic. Shooter Jaxx isn’t a band looking to hammer listeners over the head with obvious sounds but, instead, understand how to tug on the listener’s heart without ever lapsing into melodrama. “Honey Whiskey Lips” is a song that restores your faith in the genre’s future if your faith is lacking. Every note and passage should be here and there’s no window dressing distracting you from gaping holes in their talent.
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They make their living primarily as a live unit. It is not difficult to imagine this song playing well in a concert setting and it certainly doesn’t demand rearranging to work on stage. We can expect that Shooter Jaxx will continue picking up momentum with each new release and “Honey Whiskey Lips” rates as their finest release yet.
Chadwick Easton