Mullets are one of the nation’s, if not the planet’s, favourite topics. They are an undeniable source of amusement for thousands of people and as iconic as mini-skirts or Coca-Cola. Their association with trailer trash has spawned a whole counter culture (this doesn’t explain their association with East London trendies, which is more than ridiculous but then the less time spent contemplating them the better as they just want to be noticed - ignore them and they will go away) but to be fair real live people wear them every day. These are the people who like to listen to the kind of music that rock band Cracker are parodying (in a nice way) on ‘Countrysides’.

According to Cracker front man, Dave Lowry, ‘Countrysides’ is not meant to be a funny record. This doesn’t stop it being one though. Cracker have been around since 1987 playing fairly ordinary indie rock but, late in their career, decided to find their alter ego. With Lowry and song writing partner/lead guitarist John Hickman hailing from West Virginia (home to a great deal of good-ole shit-kicking, pot-smoking red necks) the obvious choice turned out to be country music. Being braver than most, Cracker adopted the pseudonym ‘Ironic Mullet’ (Shoreditch again. . .leave it!) and went on to tour most of West Virginia and Southern Alaska to test out their ironic country music. According to Lowry’s English aunt, trying to use irony in the USA is the most dangerous thing you can do. Trying to use it on the kind of people who resent that their country is run out of New York City (sic) and who arm their five-year old kids must be more dangerous still.

Anyway, the results for Cracker were a very successful tour, a bunch of amusing country material and the unceremonious end of their contract with Virgin Records who apparently didn’t get it. More fool them though, as there are people in Britain who do understand and quite like intelligent parodies, especially when they are delivered competently. It is clear from this record that Cracker are heavily influenced by country music and very good at playing it.

From the opening track ‘Truckload Of Art’, a ballad that considers the tragedy of avant-garde pieces spilled on a deserted highway, to the achingly funny kiss-off song to Virgin records, ‘It Ain’t Gonna Suck Itself’, ‘Countrysides’ delivers catchy country music in differing styles that makes you wonder if this genre, usually the pariah of the music industry in this part of the world, might be worth more of a listen. But then it probably wouldn’t be the same without lines such as “his wife’s name is Betty-Lou-Thelma-Liz” delivered in a deadpan manner. After all, Kenny Rogers didn’t see the humour in the name of his chain of self-named chicken restaurants (Kenny Rogers Chicken).

The subtlety of the humour is undoubtedly the record’s main attraction (Roy Chubby Brown it ‘aint) but buy this record and you will end up singing along and humming it at work. Then you will have to explain to people that you listen to Country Music. So what? It’s IRONIC and they probably wouldn’t get it anyway.

words: Robin Harris