The Wrong End of the Bar

One of Detroit's only true country acts at the start of the 21st century, the Forbes Brothers demonstrate their attention to songcraft on their 2003 release, The Wrong End of the Bar. Vocalist Ron Jacobs lends his impressive drawl to topics like drinkin', lovin', and losin', and the band fills out the space nicely, particularly the Dobro and banjo pieces performed by multi-instrumentalist Tom Hollyer. Highlights include the title track, in which the narrator recounts the fateful night he sat down at the wrong end of the bar and how the woman sitting next to him would eventually become his ex-wife, and the cheatin' song "Two-Step," which begins "She's out doing the two-step/While I'm home doing the 12 steps." Surprisingly well done for an independent country band, expect to see more of the Forbes Brothers in years to come.