Country music from Canada is nothing new. Artists from Shania Twain to Colter Wall have shown us that Canada is no stranger to country. That being said, Moncton, New Brunswick, probably is not the first place you think of for country music. It is, however, home to a good country band called The Divorcees.
The new album Drop of Blood is another example of the band’s tried and true honky-tonk sound. Of the album, the band said, “The story of The Divorcees has been one of never, ever taking the easy way out. And on this record, we definitely did not. It’s called Drop of Blood for a reason. We’ve paid our dues, and this album tells that story.”
The album begins with a brief instrumental that is an interesting blend. The acoustic guitar seems like it is steeped in bluegrass. That is paired with some pedal steel that brings a California country sound to the song.
After that comes “Dying Breed”. Right from the beginning, you hear a rhythm similar to Waylon Jennings and Sturgill Simpson. This song also features a melody made for dancing and lyrics that are easy to sing like, “a wanted man nobody needs, he’s the last of a dying breed.”
Getting listeners dancing is nothing unusual for this album. “Losing Hand” is as good as any song by BR5-49 for getting people moving around a dance floor. “Must Be Nice” is a song that sounds heavily influenced by Dale Watson. It’s another good one for finding a dance partner. The twist is that this is a dancing tune with some strong social commentary that is easy to relate to. The narrator of this song is an average joe who struggles to make it from one paycheck to the next while other people have “more money than they could ever need.”
On the flip side is “Too Old to Die Young”. The band slows the tempo down for this one that is driven by the pedal steel. This one kind of feels like a slower Drag the River song – especially when you hear the harmony vocals in the chorus.
If you’re used to American country music, you’re used to songs about red dirt, back roads, and pickup trucks. This (thank goodness) is nothing like that. This is music born from life on the road and made for people who want to two-step in a dark honky-tonk. The songs are well-crafted and catchy, and the album just might end up in your heavy rotation. Drop of Blood was released on January 8 and is available everywhere now. Order your copy here.