Shotgun Party

Shotgun Party

As winter chills, Shotgun Party levels a warm blast of summery swing and bluegrassy-folkie bounce on Mean Old Way. The Austin-based trio is a perfect target for fans of anything Maryann Price does, meaning their gentle yet lively music is as loaded with bandleader Jenny Parrott's mountain-cool vocals as it is shot with hot jazzy fiddle courtesy of Katy Rose Cox. It's Cox's fiddle that gives the band such personality, beginning with instrumental cover "Draggin' the Bow." On the other side, the unexpected beauty of the bilingual "Y Yo" suggests that Parrott's horizon is broader than it appears, as does the smoky presence of Steve James on slide and Stanley Smith on clarinet on "Run n Hide" and the sly "Kitchen Mechanic." Some of Mean Old Way's sweet new sound comes courtesy of producer Mark Hallman, who imbues the 17 songs with his legendary expertise, guaranteed to warm cold nights with someone you love.