Neil Hersey: Cowboy Country

By Bing Turkby

Neil Hersey definitely has the right voice for this rootsy country material. Half Waylon, three-eighths Elvis and one-eighth John Rowles is about how I make it. Backed by extremely able musicians, his songs get the delivery they deserve. On the mellower songs the backing is still propulsive, and on the gutsier ones the musicians dig in. This CD will have even country-phobes trying in vain to stop their toes tapping. I love the ghostly reverb-laden 'whoa-oah's in High Country Cattleman. Very 'Ghost riders in the sky'-esque. Hersey's lyrics follow the cowboy mould, exploring themes of 'wild horses, wild women', chaps and spurs. Some songs are heavier on the country-rock mode, others are classic country swing, and there are plenty of lonesome ballads in there too. The hard-working loner horseman image resonates as fully in NZ as it does in the US and these songs are destined to be Kiwi country classics. (Ladies, play your cards right and he'll let you drive his pickup, too…)

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NZ Musician

December/January 2009