Track listing: Shake It Like an Air Dancer, It Makes No Difference to Me, Okey Dokey, Snitches Get Bitches, Bloody Hell, This Is My Surprised Face, Linda Ronstadt and Kelly Clarkson, Love You the Most, There Are No Words, If It Wasn’t for Teachers, The King of Dad Jokes, Queen of Excuses, I Don’t Know What to Tell You, Stop Working, Blah Blah Blah, Squeeze the Day, For Crying out Loud, They’re Doing It Like Rabbits, Here’s to the Boy, I Love Port Jeff, Won’t Go to Applebees, I Wish I Was Bon Jovi, Taken to the Cleaners, Spread the Word
It's the ballad about preferring McDonald's over Applebees that caught my eye. Then "I Wish I Was Bon Jovi" caused me to do a doubletake. Yeah, Country Side's debut 24-track album Okey Dokey is chock full o' fun. "They're Doing It Like Rabbits" and "Snitches Get Bitches" just level it up, alongside the tune about Kelly Clarkson and Linda Ronstadt fighting over our venerable songwriter, Jason Peverett.
In our interview with Peverett, he elaborates on the inspiration and process that led from ideas to recording. Born to "Lonesome" Dave Peverett of legendary rockers Foghat, Jason was raised in the hubbub and energy of a musical household. He's seen the ups and downs, fame, fortune, and likely the misfortune as well. So when Jason's own songwriting bug bit hard, he enlisted the efforts of a group of hired guns outta Nashville who have crafted a perfectly executed album of the younger Peverett's work.
Okey Dokey isn't all jokes and novelty songs, though. While the lyrics consistently rely on witticism and panache, there's a great dedication to teachers, a love song or two, and various examinations of human nature set against a variety of themes.
Whereas debut albums often suffer the effects of inexperience, Peverett grew up watching how it was done. He knew better than to grab a few buddies and work-up the tunes in the garage before dropping a few mortgage payments at the local recording studio. Peverett knows where to look for stellar, professional musicians who can knock out a couple dozen songs with minimal extra takes and inconsistent performance.
Okey Dokey initially came across to me as a joke. And, sure, it's got plenty of laughs. But the album's got emotional ups and downs, and is clearly a heartfelt effort by a songwriter who has started this journey "later in life." Peverett does wanna have fun. But he also didn't want to merely have a good time while releasing a sub-par record.
And he's got a lot more to come, as far as songs already being in the hopper. He brought 35 songs into the Okey Dokey recording sessions but met with understandable resistance when it came to potentially releasing a double-album as a debut. Sure, Zappa did that with his Mothers of Invention but it's generally not considered a great idea. So for now you've only got 24 Country Side tracks to dive into. So get on after it! Listen on the platform of your choice at countryside.hearnow.com.