Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders - The Last of the Originals (Self-Released)

The world’s fascination with America’s ‘Wild West’ and country music has long been documented, blending the two into the closest thing we have to our own mythology whether we like it or not. The phenomenon was well characterized/satirized by John Cale on “Buffalo Ballet”, but it does bring up the valid point that rarely does Country music outside of the U.S. actually succeed. But Australia may be the closest thing we have to a like-minded colleague, and its band Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders certainly sound genuine enough on their new album The Last of the Originals.

The eponymous Roberts’ vocals aren’t exactly the strongest, and occasionally they’re even lifeless, but there’s something of a shambling Pastels or Vaselines charm to his voice. The sound, however, is spot on, from the honky tonk Johnny Cash attitude of “No More Mr. Nice Guy” to the sweet fiddles of “I Was Young.” There’s even traces of Bruce Springsteen’s heartland story-telling on “Mrs. Jones,” suggesting it’s a tribute, or maybe even a confusion, of the entire history of American music. Nowhere is this more evident than on the seven minute epic “Davy Crockett and the Alamo”, a panegyric devoted to the title subject, replete with Neil Young and Crazy Horse grunge.

It’s tough to tell whether this is a faithful reproduction of the sounds it aspires to or if it’s just another band trying to sound American and failing. As it often is, this seems to be somewhere in the middle. To someone from the U.S. there will undoubtedly a feeling of something missing, something undefinable. Nevertheless, The Last of the Originals remains an enjoyable and engaging listen for anyone looking for a quick fix of Americana.