Music Review: Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, All Her Fault

By Melissa Bratcher

There’s a delightful ramshackle quality to the newest album by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs. All Her Fault has a spontaneous, lively sound, and wickedly witty lyrics. It’s the kind of album that is not only instantly engaging, but also gets better with each listen.

All Her Fault is rootsy and backwoodsy, steeped in old timey sounds. The recent addition of a piano to the band’s studio has added a rich dimension to these songs. The barroom stomper “Bless Your Heart” utilizes the piano and is a scathing takedown of country artists who pretend to be what they aren’t: trailer-living, dirt-road-driving, actual country folk. The piano shows up again on the sweet “Pistol Pete,” a rhapsodic ode to one of Holly’s rescue horses. It’s a lovely delight. “The Best” is quiet and gentle and softly sad.

The lyrics are marvelous. “No Business” is a great honky tonk fuck off song with ripping slide guitar: “Just you try and touch me/I’ll chop off your hands. . . Just you try and tell me/I’ll rip out your tongue/won’t be whispering sweet nothing in my ear.” “SLC” entreats the listener to not go to Salt Lake City because “you ain’t gonna have a good time” and features some tidy banjo work from Lawyer Dave (who is The Brokeoffs).

“For All That Ails You” is a swaggering waltz in a hinterland dance hall with washboard percussion. The rockabilly flavored “Can’t Pretend” is rowdy and thrilling and gritty. “Trouble In Mind” has quite pretty harmonies from Holly Golightly and Lawyer Dave (who has a great, raw voice) and guitar work that sounds like it could have been supplied by Seasick Steve. The last track, “King Lee,” is a swinging sonnet about a neighbor of Holly’s, an old man who does things in his own style, something that surely Ms. Golightly admires. One listen to All Her Fault and you can tell that Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs certainly do things on their own terms.

All Her Fault feels very intimate and warm. It’s lo-fi but finished and incredibly charming. Together, Holly Golightly and Lawyer Dave have created this world of rural garage delights and characters that is infinitely listenable. I think I want them to adopt me.

All Her Fault was released by Transdreamer Records on March 4.

Tour Dates:
Fri 04/11/14 Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle
Sat 04/12/14 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor
Sun 04/13/14 Washington, DC DC9
Tue 04/15/14 Philadelphia, PA The Fire
Wed 04/16/14 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
Thu 04/17/14 Boston, MA Mid East
Fri 04/18/14 Winooski, VT Monkey Bar
Sat 04/19/14 New Haven, CT Café Nine confirmed
Mon 04/21/14 NYC, NY Mercury Lounge – late
Tue 04/22/14 Rochester, NY Bug Jar
Wed 04/23/14 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe Tavern
Thu 04/24/14 Cincinnati, OH Northside Tavern
Fri 04/25/14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
Sat 04/26/14 Kalamazoo, MI 411 Pub
Sun 04/27/14 Chicago, IL Wire
Mon 04/28/14 Detroit, MI Small’s
Tue 04/29/14 Iowa City, IA Trumpet Blossom
Wed 04/30/14 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
Thu 05/01/14 St. Louis, MO Firebird
Fri 05/02/14 Kansas City, MO Riot Room
Mon 05/05/14 Denver, CO High Dive
Tue 05/06/14 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
Wed 05/07/14 Boise, ID Neurolux
Thu 05/08/14 Seattle, WA Highline
Fri 05/09/14 Portland, OR TBA
Sat 05/10/14 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl
Tue 05/13/14 San Francisco, CA Thee Parkside
Wed 05/14/14 Santa Cruz, CA The Crepe Place
Thu 05/15/14 Long Beach, CA Alex’s Bar
Fri 05/16/14 Los Angeles, CA Satellite
Sat 05/17/14 San Diego, CA Casbah
Thu 05/22/14 Houston, TX Rudyard’s
Fri 05/23/14 Austin, TX Mohawk
Sat 05/24/14 Dallas, TX Three Links