

“It’s a redneck hallelujah,” sibling duo Stuart and Jenna Walker declare at the top of The Reklaws’ fourth album, where, on the opening country-pop anthem “Closer to God,” they cheekily equate the heartland lifestyle—cold beer, Stetsons, big-ass pick-up trucks—to a religious practice. Blood, Sweat & Beers is the gospel according to The Reklaws, an unapologetic celebration of small-town culture that, nonetheless, isn’t afraid to use modern means to get its message across: “Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” takes aim at cowboy cosplayers hopping on the country bandwagon, but sets its bluesy guitar licks to a bouncy dance beat; “Begging for Boots” sees Stuart trying to convince his big-city girlfriend to give up her stilettos for more backwoods-friendly footwear, yet its 4/4 pulse is fit for a downtown discotheque. But even as The Reklaws tiptoe onto the dance floor, they always keep their feet planted in their home turf: As “Cold” attests, it don’t get more country than a song about getting drunk after your girlfriend rejects your marriage proposal while Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” plays on the bar jukebox. Our Favourite Track: On an album full of drinking songs, the most fun one has to be the honky-tonk groover “SOS” (that would be “sip of something”).