Joshua Hedley - “Broke Again”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Sam Outlaw, Luke Bell, Paul Cauthen

Joshua Hedley is an authentic one. Staying on a tight path of classic country rock, his sophomore record Neon Blue continues the story that began with Mr. Jukebox in 2018. Honky-tonk rhythms, fiddlin’ lines, and Hedley’s straight-country vocal sets the scene for his throwback songwriting. This isn’t tumbleweed-across-the-desert country though, Hedley leaning on the rock side, at least ‘rock’ as it was defined eighty years ago. Electric and acoustic guitars each take on duties on Neon Blue, slow dances and beer-swigging ramblers both taking turns on the dance floor. Joshua Hedley showcases at the Broken Spoke Friday night. (Kevin McStravick)  

2022 Review: Classic country revivalist Joshua Hedley’s meticulous debut Mr. Jukebox takes traditional country and pop tones and rediscovers them for a new time. Eschewing modern sounds fully, Mr. Jukebox sounds like it is literally a sixty-year-old record discovered in a used-vinyl bin. Sweet love songs and sorrowful ballads criss-cross in Hedley’s music, focusing on the heart that permeates the best country songwriting. It’s a pretty, nostalgic listen with a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude, one from an artist exciting in his studied approach rather than subverting throwback expectations.