Outlaws of Country

TO say that The Best Part of the Day is the Night is very true for most people who like to socialise, and it is a great title for the new CD by left-of-centre Country band The Outlaws. For many years the bandleader, Sean Hughes, has been a purveyor of Country music that is rooted in the American genre. His songs, including the original that is the title track of this album is far removed from Country â€Ëœnâ€â„¢ Irish, yet Seanâ€â„¢s style and that of the various line-ups of his band over the years has always been more Traditional Country than Country-Rock. There is a more than a nod towards Country-Rock, with the inclusion of the Monaghan bandâ€â„¢s version of The Eagles big hit Lyinâ€â„¢ Eyes here and of Marty Stewartâ€â„¢s line dancing hit Hillbilly Rock and The Outlaws do justice to both songs. The band has been around the scene in the North of Ireland for some time and they have managed to make inroads into the circuit down here over the past year or two with frequent appearances, particularly in The McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris. Having secured the services of manager Kevin McCooey some time ago, they are obviously making a bold bid for national success and as he has been the manager of Big Tom for many years, he should also be a good person to help The Outlaws get gigs all over the country. From listening to this new album it is obvious that they are musicians who are very committed to playing their type of Bluegrass Country mixed with a smattering of Traditional music influences. The sounds of fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar are all strong on this album and apart from playing all those instruments themselves, The Outlaws have also augmented their sound by using the services of some top session musicians on several tracks. Some of the original songs on this set are very interesting, especially the title track which sounds Country but with some Irish Traditional influences. While there is a market for The Outlawsâ€â„¢ style of playing and singing in this country, it is very much a niche market but it is a growing one. This, their second album for the Sharpe label, should introduce them to a wider audience, especially with the commercially astute idea of including some songs popularised by The Eagles and Marty Stewart. The fact that their style is not completely confined to Bluegrass but is also influenced by other sounds could also help The Outlaws break out of this niche market and into the more mainstream Country scene. â€â€ TG.