Country Club

While John Doe remains best known as the co-leader of legendary punk-rock band X, he has been at home in country music for a long time—he was part of the X country side project The Knitters in the 1980s, acted alongside George Strait in 1992’s Pure Country (he played the drummer in George’s band) and for the last 18 years the genre has been a constant element in his work as a solo artist. His latest, featuring Canadian band The Sadies backing him up, finds John addressing his love for the music more directly than ever.

Country Club’s track listing is mostly made up of classic country covers, and occasionally the choices are a tad obvious; chestnuts like “Night Life” and “I Still Miss Someone” sound fine here, but their definitive readings by Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash loom over these versions. Nonetheless, Country Club is a laid-back treat—simply a set of terrific songs performed by people who clearly adore them.