RONNIE DUNN

                                                                   FT. JAKE WORTHINGTON

                                                             "Honky Tonk Town" 

                                                             LWR, LLC.

Ronnie Dunn is synonymous with country music. The minute you hear his defining vocal slip through the static of your radio dial, you immediately turn the volume up and settle in for a 3-minute romp through one of the many genre defining songs Dunn has put out over the years.

But rather than just rest on what he’s already accomplished, he continues to challenge himself as he rediscovers his sound by going straight back to the honky-tonk style of country music that he cut his teeth on.

He reemerged earlier this year with “Broken Neon Hearts,” showcasing a heavy blast of 90’s country inspired sounds like only Ronnie Dunn can deliver, and he now returns with “Honky Tonk Town,” the first release since announcing his new album 100 Proof Neon (due out July 29, 2022).

The cold opening of the song shoots you right into the chorus and refreshingly negates that same old, worn-out structure that’s being used on so many songs these days of verse-chorus-verse-chorus.

In search of a true “honky-tonk town,” over the toe-tapping melody Dunn and Jake Worthington – who is a featured guest on this tune - crisply describe that they’re looking for a place with a rocking jukebox playing Willie and Merle, somewhere that the good ole boys and cowgirls go to hear twangy guitars and throw back whiskey, etc.

Though the instrumentation is refreshingly laced with prominent fiddle and steel guitar that wrap around you, it’s Dunn and Worthington’s vocals that captivate the listener as they trade off nearly every other line, and in their own way, are continually challenging one another to raise the bar that much higher with each line they sing.

But as a Nashville resident who has spent his fair share of time cruising up and down Lower Broadway, it’s Dunn’s subtle shots at what Nashville has become that really stand out for me.

As he sings in the chorus, “gotta find me a honky-tonk town, one that plays that honky-tonk sound,” Dunn boldly delivers the truth that Nashville isn’t that place anymore as everything flowing out of the downtown honky-tonks nowadays is anything except country music.

Ronnie Dunn is clearly still rising to the top at this point of his career by challenging himself to make great music, while he’s also reviving his solo career on the back of great songs like this that are sure to ignite a Friday night dance hall floor - all while saying, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

Do you like what you're reading on Today's Country Magazine? Donate today by clicking HERE

• Prev
• Next