Eli Driftwood is the country pseudonym of 28-year-old Northlander Elliot Brown. Using this new persona Brown has created Lies Your Momma Told Me, an album of charming songs that gently wander through the sounds of yesteryear.
Vocally, Driftwood has more than a passing resemblance to Willie Nelson which is surely an asset to such a young man lighting out down the path of traditional country. His music harkens back to a bygone era where harmony and songcraft took precedence over social media presence and empty hype. This makes the album feel like a bit of an anachronism but will certainly help it stand out from the crowd. The trick is to not think about it too much and let yourself get swept away. You can get lost in the folksy, confessional ramble of 'Elijah', or swing along heedlessly to the jaunty piano and handclaps of 'One of these Days'.
In fact you find yourself so well conditioned into this oldey-timey frame of mind, when something even vaguely modern sounding comes along it feels out of place. But that shouldn't be seen as a blemish on the album, rather just another fun twist that Lies Your Momma Told Me has to offer.
