Split Lip Rayfield – Should Have Seen It Coming (Bloodshot)

With Should Have Seen It Coming, Split Lip Rayfield continues to expand on its trademark psycho version of bluegrass, often times played at manic break-neck speed that would make fingers bleed, other times reduced to quieter moments of plucking and strumming.

The album careens between downright serious and accomplished to goofy and care-free, working both extremes pretty well. From painting humorous caricatures of hillbilly life and telling pensive tales of doom, to celebrating the excesses of drugs and plenty of pre-requisite country tales of lost love.

Though, it’s a lot to take in at once—Is it insurgent country or goofball bluegrass? (Both and neither)—it doesn’t really matter. Just call up some friends, crack a few Miller High Lifes, get some Bar-b-que going, and enjoy.