A country boy with a punk-rock heart, Cory Branan fires twin barrels of barroom boogie woogie and honky-tonk twang on “You Make Me,” the kickoff track from his upcoming release, The No-Hit Wonder.
Like most of his music, “You Make Me” is a left-of-center tune regardless of where you’re standing. It’s too rockin’ for country and too drawling for rock & roll, shot through with a guitar riff stolen from Ron Wood’s mid-Seventies wheelhouse and a piano solo steeped in the Old West vibe of a border town saloon. In other words, the song is thoroughly Cory Branan, a rootsy rave-up tailored to the shape of someone who’s made a habit of shrugging off most normal outfits. To sweeten the deal, Jason Isbell stops by for a cameo, harmonizing with Branan’s boozy baritone during each refrain.
The No-Hit Wonder, Branan’s second release for the country-punk label Bloodshot Records, hits stores on August 19th. Two weeks later, the no-hit wonder himself will kick off his fall tour in Little Rock, Arkansas, remaining on the road through mid-October.