Album Review: Sonny & The Sunsets - Longtime Companion

San Franciscan chameleon Sonny Smith's breakup with his girlfriend of ten years has slightly dimmed his upbeat demeanour, but not his nimble songwriting chops. Of course, when things go awry with one's love life the country oeuvre is where you turn, so Smith has embellished his normal outfit The Sunsets with members of his country band The Fuckaroos, and the result is Longtime Companion, a collection of tunes about love and loss that, despite the inherent sadness surrounding its genesis, still manages to find some solace in life and even a whiff of casual optimism for the future.

Fittingly there's liberal dollops of steel guitar throughout, and the pace of the album is largely the requisite two-step shuffle that this country territory demands. Smith's wearied vocals drip with resignation and regret, but thankfully his penchant for dark humour remains intact. Literal heartbreak echoes through opener I Was Born, while following track Dried Blood lifts the pace but not the pathos. Smith seeks to channel the Man In Black on the slightly puerile Year Of The Cock, while Gram Parsons' spirit is revived on Rhinestone Sunset, both in content and delivery. Most tellingly Pretend You Love Me, found on last year's Hit After Hit as a spiky garage ballad, morphs here into a languid, melancholy country jam, showcasing the change of mood perfectly.

Of course with Sonny Smith being Sonny Smith it still comes across as more country-tinged garage pop than true country, but that's okay: throw on Longtime Companion next time you have trouble of the heart and you'll be warmed by the fact that you're not doing it alone.