Wonderful harmonies-of-a-sixth in the vocals, seasoned banjo playing and that sweet, crunchy Telecaster guitar are all part-and-parcel of the Ramblin’ Boots sound. This country-western sextet from the Netherlands certainly doesn’t shy away from their deep love of the art-form, bringing out all the bells and whistles for their latest single, “The Ones that Turn me On.” Honestly, you don’t even have to be a huge roots music fan to have this little diddy get stuck in your head for days.
The Boots formed in early 2018 and quickly made a name for themselves while putting in time around the Dutch TV-Radio circuit, taking home big awards from the DCMA (Dutch Country Music Association). Their quick climb up the ranks isn’t too surprising, considering any fan of Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams Sr., or Patsy Cline would definitely appreciate the authentic sound of these chicken-pickers from Holland.
Lyrically, like so many country songs, “The Ones that Turn Me On” is a ballad of self-defeat, in which our narrator confesses how he’s been down on his luck with the opposite sex, hitting a dramatic climax after each chorus with “the ones that turn me on, all turn me down down.” Although, perhaps our cowboy has set himself up for failure, as he describes how “Meghan Fox might suit [him] to the letter.” Eventually, he does seem more hopeful and confident, asserting that “there’s someone out there for me, I just know it.”
Musically, these guys have managed to transport the best of the Nashville sound across the ocean to European audiences. And if that’s not enough to impress you, you just focus those ears on their blend of male and female vocal, harmonizing with each other in the most perfect spots, like at the start of each iteration of “the ones that turn me on” in the choruses. Or how about the exchange in the solo section between fiddle and Tele, with each one laying down some killer material in their own rite. I’m tellin’ ya, grab a neat Jack D, lay back, and take this one in; you have our guarantee of coming out the other end with some good, down-home vibes.
