Album Review: Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs 'Coulda Shoulda Woulda'

"I never set out with any particular strategy or ambition, and I still don't have one," Golightly concludes. "It just comes from luck and tenacity, and from being completely indifferent to what everybody else is doing. I love writing songs and playing music, and I've always worked my tits off to be able to have music in my life. Everything else in my life is hard graft, but music is what I do for fun.”

If music is what Holly Golightly does for fun, then 2015 must be one enjoyable year - as well as an incredibly productive and busy one. In August, she released her delightful Slowtown Now! and on October 16th she will release Coulda Shoulda Woulda with The Brokeoffs (Holly and her partner Lawyer Dave). They recorded their latest record on the Georgia farm that they share with their animals (horses, dogs, chickens, geese and goats) and brought on neighbor Jeff Walls to add guitar on three tracks in a twelve track collection where each song has the ability to stand alone as well as together.

“Heaven Buy and Buy” kicks things off with a punkabilly-gospel vibe while “Apartment 34” entices with its menacing feel paired with a story for which you must really keep your ears open. “Jackhammer” is sort of a noir-waltz, “Little Mule” mixes in some blues and the retro flavored, make ya shimmy and shake title track could have easily been found on Slowtown Now!

Lawyer Dave takes lead with his distinct vocals on the take me to church (but not really) “Jump In The River,” and the raver “Karate,” while the two duet on the bleak bluegrass tune “Lonesome Grave.” Sweetness mixes with an underlying tone of sour on “What He Does” while the duo quash what may come next on the infectious “No Judgement Day” as well as a certain holiday on “Christmas Is A Lie”. Thrown in the mix is their rendition of “Marijuana, The Devil’s Flower,” a song about the evils of marijuana originally recorded by Mr. Sunshine decades ago.

Don’t say coulda, shoulda, woulda about getting your hands on Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs’ new record. It’s a genre mash up full of grooves, sharp lyrics, humor and heart that’s a keeper.

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