Dylan Scott - Easy Does It
Curb Records
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‘Easy does it’ perfectly sums up Dylan Scott’s third full-length album in a career that spans the past dozen years. In general, this is an extremely pleasant album, with clear vocals and a good choice of songs. But, having taken the time to track backward to Dylan’s excellent debut album and 2022’s LIVIN’ MY BEST LIFE, there’s an inescapable sense that EASY DOES IT isn’t much of an advance, and it seems a bit staid by the standards of those first two releases. They’re both very good albums thick with tight playing and fully fleshed songs and arrangements. His latest set has its moments but still doesn’t quite live up to the freshness and vitality of his previous work. His vocals are solid and straight-forward, sharing a resonance that only a dedicated country music devotee can offer. He’s chosen clever modern country songs set in a sharply etched boho Nashville style, populated with losers, small town memories and mismatched lovers. Consequently, anyone searching for a perfect primer in the basics of today’s country music need look no further. Dylan Scott’s EASY DOES IT provides the perfect pastiche. But is that enough in these days of an ever-increasing choice of music on-tap?
What He'll Never Have offers a glimpse into the soundscapes which run through the rest of the album. Dylan puts an upbeat spin on it, turning the otherwise sombre, introspective break-up song into a catchy sunset singalong. Of course, there’s the obligatory drinkin’ songs. I Hate Whiskey is not the expected anti-drink message; it’s a brooding bitter break-up tune in which the taste of whiskey repeatedly soaks in more than a few minutes of regret. Bourbon is the main ingredient to Easy Does It, a third break-up song in a row. This one goes down smoothly, almost too comfortably for a guy who is supposedly drinking away his troubles. Where’s a splash of ol’ George Jones, when you need it?
Like a good ol’ country guy, he pays homage to where he came from—twice. This Town's Been Too Good To Us is a quirky earworm loaded with wonderful memories, as he adopts a drawly tone while delighting in smart-slacker verse and homespun wisdom. I Owe You One, is another reminder that the old days were better, at least in the 20/20 vision of hindsight and selective recall. Country Till I Die is a catchy rock song that turns up the tempo and volume compared to other songs on the album, but despite the title, can hardly be termed ‘country.’ The reflective You’d Think I Was A Cowboy, neatly straddles country and easy-going pop, whilst with Smoke Follows Beauty, Dylan finds his most confident swagger. If your bag is easy-on-the-ear country that doesn’t rock any boats, then Dylan Scott will give you a smooth sailing with EASY DOES IT.
May 2025