One might be forgiven for thinking Keith Sykes had disappeared from public view. Despite an impressive legacy that started in 1969 with his self-titled Vanguard release, his offerings have been somewhat scarce in the past two decades, surfacing only occasionally and then attracting only scant notice. That abscence ought not negate a prolific career that’s included songs covered by Rosanne Cash, The Judds and George Thorogood, a stint in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and a signing to John Prine’s Oh Boy! record label in 1992. Nevertheless, there have been extensive gaps between releases throughout his career, leading to the conclusion Sykes is psyched to record only on occasion.
Consequently, it comes as little surprise that his new EP Songs From A Little Beach Town is his first effort in nearly a decade. It finds him reemerging in the guise of a tropical troubadour, with songs woven from the same sandy fabric as Buffett’s own. Sykes extolls the joy of life spent in small seaside towns, where visitors flock for butterfly shrimp, good fishing and the ideal suntan. And like Buffett, Sykes spices his narratives with plenty of pointed observational humor, as expressed in songs like “Drive Myself To Drinkin’” (I’m gonna build me a bar in the back of my car and drive myself to drinin’”) and “Come As You Are Beach Bar,” an offering that finds a definitive kinship with “Magaritaville” in its description of tourists idling away the hours. He has his tender moments to be sure — “I Pick You” in particular — but mostly these are songs sung from the vantage point of a man who’s found his personification of paradise and is all too eager to share it. Flip flops and sun tan oil are well recommended.
