Justin Allen and the Well Shots - White Oak & Kerosene EP (Self-Released)

Justin Allen and the Well Shots are a roots and roll act out of where else but Nashville, Tennessee.
Although alt-country is an all too popular genre these days, there is a working class authenticity to Allen’s voice and his lyrics. Listen to any song from his new EP, White Oak & Kerosene, and you can immediately sense the dirt caked on his hands, and the cheap, hard-earned whiskey on his breath. Allen lived out of his car, and traveled back and forth from Ohio to record the demos that would eventually become this EP, and consequently these songs are injected with a vibrant sense of raw immediacy.

The record is punctuated with fun, raucous numbers like “Feeling Alright” and “Angelina”—songs that expand with frantic blue collar vibrations. The real star of White Oak & Kerosene, however, is “Come A Little Closer,” an infectious dose of poppy Heartland rock that could have found a comfortable spot on one Bruce Springsteen’s records from the early ’80s. It’s close cousin, the title track “White Oak & Kerosene” is a surprisingly (or not-so-surprisingly) beautiful and understated composition that speaks to the heart of Justin Allen’s uniquely personal lyrical talent.