Raised in Missouri, Jeb Loy Nichols has spent most of his career in Britain, where his CV includes several albums of country soul as well as blue-eyed reggae, novel writing and a smart line in artwork. The deep southern epicentre of Country Hustle is triangulated by the swamp rock of Tony Joe White, the New Orleans funk of Dr John and the husky drawl of JJ Cale, though beats and dub are skilfully woven in. There are confessionals such as Regret, and tart social comment like Long Live the Loser, while Never Too Much turns Luther Vandross’s sassy disco anthem into slinky, minimalist intimacy. A captivating, low-key set from a singular talent.
