Dave Ernst & the Early Favorites, Superstar Review

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Dave Ernst & the Early Favorites, Superstar Review

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Suffused in the American South music traditions. In 2016, Dave Ernst was diagnosed and treated for Thyroid cancer; a potentially devastating life event which threatened to derail his career. Not one to let such a challenge keep him down, he wasted no time in getting back to work after treatment by demoing new material in early 2017. Dave Ernst & the Early Favorites performed their first live show in July 2017, and were signed to Eastwood Records shortly thereafter. The road to and beyond recovery for Ernst is nothing short of inspirational. The Kentucky-based, alt-country songwriter is set to release his debut LP Hickory Switch. The album, produced by Peter Searcy (Squirrel Bait) and mixed by Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo). Ernst and his live band, the Early Favorites, have been described as “Uncle Tupelo 2.0” and “a goddamn rock and roll mountain”, both labels that Ernst is happy to wear. That’s the short of it!

Overview

Item Reviewed

Superstar

Author

Seamus Fitzpatrick

December 2, 2018

In Short

Superstar (single)

Details

Release Date: November 28, 2018

Label

Eastwood Records

Length

3:42 minutes

Relatable songs that resonate the southern slice of American life.

Review Rating

Our Rating

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Album Rating

8.9

9.0

Bottom Line

All the trappings of storied songs are afoot on Hickory Swtich. Love, heartbreak, joy betrayal and redemption. The production has a modernist twang about it, and a versatile and relatable stable of songs portraying the people and places in Ernst life. Take the title track “Hickory Switch” references the old adage of old south disciplines spare the rod, spoil the child. A well-documented form of discipline in which children have to go into the yard and pick out their own switch. It’s an authentically southern coming-of-age tale. While, “Wreckin,” explores a clever use of the homonym for “reckon,” offers a bit more bite and growl with a shuffle beat. Whereas “Rocket Fuel,” harkens to Ernst childhood and his fandom for R.E.M. The program is varied, yet cohesive and each song animates the overall resinous of Ernst signature sound.

8.9

Total Score

9.0

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