“They say I’m neo-folk, a traditional outlaw,” sings Joshua Hedley on “Country and Western,” a standout track from this year’s Neon Blue. “Americana troubadour, that don’t sound like me at all.” Indeed, as the journeyman fiddler and top-shelf songster croons in the chorus of that tune, Hedley is “a singing professor of country and Western.” The Florida native turned longtime Nashvillian has paid his dues gigging on Lower Broad, around town and on the road, and that experience comes through on tender numbers like “Old Heartbroke Blues” and the Garth-esque “Found in a Bar.” But it’s not all tear-in-beer ballads. With his honeyed baritone and knack for busting out honky-tonk rippers like “The Last Thing in the World” and Neon Blue’s titular track, one thing’s clear: Joshua Hedley makes tried-and-true country music, and he’s doing it better than most of the folks you’re liable to hear on mainstream country radio.
