Hackensaw Boys – Love What You Do

Following in the form of the fabulously filthy Christina Aguilera, the Hackensaw Boys’ “Kiss You Down There” ought to carry a parental advisory warning. The song, the third track on the band’s third studio album, finds founder and mandolin player Mahlon (aka Rob Bullington) making an offer that would make any self-respecting churchgoer blush. After spotting sweet-as-Sunday Mary, Mahlon goes for it with the confession, “I want to kiss you down there.” Yow! Who says old-timey ensembles from Charlottesville, Virginia, can’t be as drrrty as a Britney/Xtina mud-wrestling match?

The bulk of Love What You Do isn’t as racy, but that doesn’t make it any less memorable. A throwback to the days when bassists played glorified washtubs and fiddlers never lacked for work, the Hackensaw Boys are obviously unclear as to what year it is. Powered by vintage-sounding mandolin, banjo, harmonica and fiddle, the tunes tend to fall into two categories. On the white-lightning-fueled side of things, you’ve got your bluegrass barnburners such as “Cannonball” and “Mecklenburg County”. Meanwhile, the smoky folk of “Sun’s Work Undone” and “Buildings Are The Cages” will resonate with anyone still mourning the demise of Uncle Tupelo.

And for those who want more filth? Well, “Parking Lot Song” finds Mahlon admitting that all the pretty women are making his pants too tight for comfort. Dirty, dirty, dog.