San Francisco’s queer honky-tonk institution Country Risqué returns to announce their forthcoming sophomore album “As the Crow Flies”, leading the charge with an irresistibly bouncy single called “Motorcycle Johnny”.
There is a strange, captivating alchemy to this band. The vocal friction alone is brilliant: Miles Gordon provides a rich, formally trained warmth, while Daniel Bromfield leans hard into a languid, almost defiant deadpan. Supported by the talents of Richard Moog, Chris Kenyon, and Sarah Parker, the quintet crafts a vibrant hybrid of ’50s-influenced alt-country and heartland rock.
“Motorcycle Johnny” is a pure shot of rockabilly adrenaline. Fast-paced, fiercely twangy, and delightfully upbeat, it barrels forward on a high-energy cadence. It chronicles a refined, high-society woman tossing her family’s conservative expectations to the wind in favor of a rugged, untamed escape. Honestly, listening to the track gives you the sudden urge to bolt out the emergency exit of a tedious formal gala.
This single serves as the getaway car, and “As the Crow Flies” promises the cinematic expanse. The upcoming record aims to wander into the extreme wilderness of the West Coast, weaving together woody Oregon nostalgia, cryptic coastal bird imagery, and cosmic stories of women actively rejecting the rules.
In an era of sterile, predictable pop, their raw, rebellious joy feels oddly soothing. Are we all secretly craving the courage to simply drive off the map?
