Work harder, not smarter: classically bad advice, but when it works, it works. Country Westerns are a force, punk rock lifers playing rock music with hearted-sleeves and punched-guts. They play loud and furious but with a nuance that belies their delicate and varied pedigrees.Released June 26, 2020, let’s add to Covid’s tab all Country Westerns touring in support of their debut. Fortunately, as great art does, the record found a way, and the lack of live shows didn’t stop critics from hailing Country Westerns as one of the 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020 (Pitchfork), or “Hüsker Dü-by-way-of-Lucero” (Magnet), or a “slice of raspy heartland rock with a dash of REM”(Brooklyn Vegan).