Review – Scott Southworth’s “Comin’ Round to Honky Tonk Again”

With old school country music being such a hot commodity these days, an industry of “cool” has entrenched itself in the scene … or depending on your perspective, perhaps this coolness has corrupted it. Suave 20 and 30-somethings are out there packing theaters and sometimes arenas singing what passes for classic country songs. East Nashville is full of kids with cocaine mustaches, blue blocker shades, and butterfly collars aping Jerry Reed. It’s cool to see so much vitality in the music, even if some of the hipster vibes thrown off don’t feel cool all the time.
As for Scott Southworth, he knows he’s part of the uncool crowd. He’s a middle-aged traditional country singer and songwriter who can’t begin to keep up with the Tyler Childers and Charley Crocketts of the country music world. But ironically, that is what makes Scott Southworth cool in his own way. He’s genuine: to himself, to his songs, and to country music. In an era when interloping, affectations, and cosplay are all the rage, he’s the real deal.
This is what Scott Southworth introduces you to in the talking verses of the title track of his new album Comin’ Round to Honky Tonk Again. Southworth knows his little place in the country music world. And instead of being full of spite or envy, or trying to be anything but himself, he embraces it. He’s also willing to laugh a little bit, and to sing a silly cornpone song or two. Southworth makes sure to not take himself too seriously, though he takes the business of writing and singing country music as serious as a life’s purpose.
With a great singing voice to back it up, Scott Southworth rattles off a dozen songs on this new album that in previous eras in country music would constitute radio hits. Though he writes a lot of his own stuff like the great country shuffle “Here Comes The Night” or the laid back “Just Fishing,” he also co-writes with a few cool names, and cuts some songs on the album that are perfect specimens of the “three chords and the truth” mantra like “Over Getting Over You Again” co-written with Jan Buckingham and “Everything I Never Knew” with Bill Whyte.

And of course because it’s Scott Southworth, you know the music itself is going to be country, and full of fiddle and steel guitar. Just like Scott Southworth, Comin’ Round to Honky Tonk Again is country through and through. Though he’s originally from the Pacific Northwest, one thing we’ve learned about true country music over the years is that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. If you have the love of country music in your heart, you can perform country music with authenticity, as long as you’re authentic to yourself.
Southworth helps to underscore this with the song “Country No Matter What Country” where he teams with seven different independent country artists from seven different countries to sing a classic country song. This includes Glen Mitchell, Kevin Greaves, Andrea Benz, Johnny Brady, Siverty Bjordal, and “Mr. Jay” Desoteux. Just like many of the genuine article country guys from the United States, Scott Southworth has garnered himself an international following over the years from being an actual version of a country music artist as opposed to a put-on one.
This new album also has a cool collaboration with Dallas Moore called “Granny Used To Honky Tonk,” a song called “Woman On My New Tattoo” that reminds you of the best of Jimmy Buffett (RIP), and some funny stuff that always comes with a Scott Southworth album like “Ridin’ Sparky Tonight” co-written with Jerry Salley.
So often in the effort to save country music, we get swept up in focusing on the surging young country stars and the spectacular things they’re accomplishing. All that stuff is cool, but it’s guys like Scott Southworth that may not be “cool” in the conventional sense, but are doing country music the was it’s supposed to be done, and the way it’s always been done. When the trends pass and the popularity dies down, he’ll still be here honky tonkin’, because that’s what Scott Southworth does.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Purchase from Bandcamp
This story has been updated.
September 15, 2023 @ 8:05 am
Sounds awesome! I will have to track this guy down in concert if he lives in the neighborhood. Don’t know why we need to express surprise that there is great country music in the PNW though. Not only did many classic artists start here (Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn) but we have a hell of a lot more rugged country, mountains and farmland than most of the geographic regions that this blog touts as the “home” of country music. Washington alone has something like 100 mountains taller than the biggest “mountain” in the Appalachian chain. So for the love of Don Rich (Morton WA) please quit stop acting like this is surprising to anyone!
September 15, 2023 @ 10:54 am
Ian, I grew up in Oregon and lived in Portland for much of my 20s, playing music across the PNW. Have lived in Nashville for about 20 years now but typically come play shows up there every August
September 15, 2023 @ 8:47 am
I thoroughly enjoyed this album and added it to my collection! Great album! I’m kind of coming to the conclusion that Honky-Tonk should be considered a sub-genre of country music.
September 15, 2023 @ 10:55 am
Thanks Jerry!
September 15, 2023 @ 10:45 pm
It is!
September 15, 2023 @ 10:24 am
Yep…..loved this whole thing on first listen. A lot of toe-tappers, good hooks, lyrics, and sing alongs. Right up my alley. This will get many spins around here for sure, and probably get better with each one. Nice work!!!
September 15, 2023 @ 10:56 am
Awesome! Appreciate the spins JB!!
September 15, 2023 @ 11:40 am
Great album, just like the last one ‘These Old Bones’, not a bad track on it.
Worth catching his Friday FB gigs as well if you get the chance.
September 18, 2023 @ 8:31 pm
MJ, actually moved my Friday morning shows to YouTube now, starting back up next Friday 9/29!
Cheers,
SS
September 15, 2023 @ 2:52 pm
I only have so much time between things to listen to music each day, and this album is going to leave a bit less time for some other fine musicians. It really hits the sweet spot for me.
September 18, 2023 @ 8:33 pm
Jono – Sorry to take away from other equally deserving artists, but thanks for the ears! HA!
Cheers,
SS
September 15, 2023 @ 7:42 pm
I really enjoyed this album like I have his past ones a good honkytonk album for sure. My 3 favorites which I added to the playlist are “granny use to honkytonk”, “everything I knew” and “here comes the night”.
September 18, 2023 @ 8:28 pm
Thanks for the listen, glad to hear you dig it!
Cheers,
SS
September 15, 2023 @ 8:35 pm
First song reminds me of the Mavericks
September 15, 2023 @ 9:49 pm
Never heard of him before this article but I just bought all his available CD’s. This is the country music I love.
September 18, 2023 @ 8:36 pm
Thanks and welcome aboard!
Cheers,
SS
September 16, 2023 @ 5:34 am
Scott my sister in law lives in Hood River, I’m a Jersey guy with some roots in Texas and we have plenty of country here too. BTW! Who is playing the great steel guitar on the album, I’m lovin’ this
September 16, 2023 @ 3:37 pm
Steve Hinson and Scotty Sanders were the Pedal Steel virtuosos on this project, Thanks So Much!
September 16, 2023 @ 12:44 pm
: D i think Scott Southworth is hilarious.
https://youtu.be/q601wHsy0uU?si=a_tfOmDVKYzzGug-
He, of the sexy low voice
September 18, 2023 @ 8:37 pm
LOL, here we go again…Howdy Di!
SS
September 18, 2023 @ 9:42 pm
: D Howdy, Scott!
September 16, 2023 @ 2:11 pm
Scott has been in my rotation at Bus of Real Country since 2017 and we love to share dj stories.
September 18, 2023 @ 8:34 pm
Howdy Janice!!
September 16, 2023 @ 2:51 pm
I’m not cool either, but I love me some Scott Southworth. His first name is way cool though.
September 16, 2023 @ 3:24 pm
Southworth is Cool, alright.
Cool with a capital C.
The amusing thing is, Scott’s generation and some of the generations before are thick with some of the coolest, most hip people.
It is so much fun to look around at all the “Cool” people now.
You know the Burning Man crowd, etc., etc., etc.,
while you smile and shake your head at their incredible gullibility.
Why, they’ve just gotten their 10th tattoo, taken the newest vaccine, cleaned their computer files. They are “On it!”
Yeah, they’re out there doing it, alright. …
Meanwhile, a lot of the sort of cool people, in their own you know, kind of cool way, are writing great songs (Southworth).
The you know, cool “in their own way” people are out in the world working real jobs, throwing fins on and loading spearguns, in their play time. Bringing fresh fish up from the sea for dinner.
You know, out there working hard, and playing hard.
Pretty sobering as the younger generations who try (and are failing miserably) to emulate their grandparents lifestyle, all of a sudden realize their grandparents are a lot “Cooler” than most of their generation will ever hope to be.
Burning Man, … Laughing …
September 17, 2023 @ 6:20 am
The best point in your life is when you finally reach the age where you say to yourself, why the hell have I spent so much time trying to be cool instead of just being me? There’s freedom outside the social expectation bubble.
September 17, 2023 @ 7:48 am
: D Totally Agree.
And, even better – the freedom of not ever having worried about being cool in the first place.
Just living life, Thanking the Good Lord for all of His tremendous Blessings, and trying to quietly be of help to our fellow man, when & where we can.
September 17, 2023 @ 1:37 pm
Was not aware of Scott until this article. Have already listened to it three times. Great stuff!
September 18, 2023 @ 8:38 pm
Nice to have ya listening, thanks!
Cheers,
SS
October 7, 2023 @ 6:49 am
Insta-fan. As soon as I heard him name drop James Hand that was it.
April 14, 2024 @ 10:12 am
Thanks Skuggs!