You know when you catch a new song on the radio and you just can’t change it until the song is over? Even if you have no idea who is singing? Maybe it’s the lyrics or the voice or something. Douglass Street did that to me. On every track, in fact.  The fivesome’s debut album, Watch It Cowboy, combines rockabilly badness with Cross Canadian Ragweed intelligence, and it’s laced with a high level of musical entertainment that far exceeded my expectations (which were decidedly indifferent in the first place). 

“Let’s Get It On” is a cowboy original, packed full with chopping redneck-mean lyrics. Love it. “Pour Myself to Sleep” is like Jimmy Buffet meets Blake Shelton’s “Some Beach.” “Working on Some Lonely” on track eight is the first ballad-esque heartbreak song on the album; it shrewdly weaves a nice tale of “what coulda been.” For a brief minute, the electric guitar had me reminiscing about Guns N’ Roses on “Sweet Thing.” The last track, “21 Guns,” is a sobering finale on this album – a bird’s eye view of a soldier’s sacrifice neatly complimented with a background acoustic strumming and a fitting moment of silence.

Hard to believe this group formed in 2008. Lead singer Doug Gusching has wonderful vocal ability, and he’s backed by some gifted singers and musicians. He’s got a drawl, too, though I’m not sure whether it’s authentic Indiana or authentic Someplace-else. I got my harmonica on this album (thank you) and just the right amount of guitar and drums. This group has some gifted songwriters, indeed. If this album is any indication, you’ll know them by name very soon. My only complaint is that the album is heavy on love songs and has an unnecessary amount of girl-focused attention. But I’m a girl. Guys, I’m sure you’ll love it all. 

Check out their CD release party at the Rock-N-Horse March 27 and 28. You can also download “Watch It Cowboy” at iTunes and CDBaby.com.