Cooley

Some say that all good songs can be stripped down to an acoustic guitar; The Fool on Every Corner certainly supports this. Hailed as one of the finest sidekicks to ever step onstage with Southern rock torchbearers The Drive-By Truckers, Mike Cooley’s solo debut, with lines like “rock and roll means well but it can’t help tellin’ young boys lies” ( “Marry Me” ), is a reminder that there may not be a better songwriter in the genre. Recorded live over a three-night run in Georgia, the release has plenty of classic DBT songs, as well as a brand new number and a cover of Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors.” But it’s the hootin’ and hollerin’ from the crowd, Cooley’s little stories and the sound of fingers on strings that truly elevates the experience.