Country duo Brothers Osborne shine on debut album

This CD cover image released by EMI Nashville shows “Pawn Shop,” the latest release by Brothers Osborne. (EMI Nashville via AP)

Brothers Osborne open their first full-length album, “Pawn Shop,” with the slinky sting of John Osborne’s slide guitar set against younger brother T.J. Osborne’s sinewy baritone, which finds a slow-rolling rhythm of its own.
Right off, on the song “Dirt Rich,” the duo from the working-class coast of Maryland establishes a slyly funky style of their own. Working with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town), the brothers create a distinctive sound rooted in bluesy country soul yet wholly modern and engaging.
The two previously released a five-song EP and achieved a Top 5 hit last year with Grammy-nominated “Stay a Little Longer,” included here. So is “Rum,” the catchiest drinking song of recent vintage, and “It Ain’t My Fault,” as clever as any night-gone-wild tune that country music has offered since the heyday of Alan Jackson and Toby Keith.
The songs rely heavily on lighthearted wordplay, with a few exceptions. The low point comes wrapped in the shallow clichés of “American Crazy,” which can’t be saved by T.J.’s passionate performance. However, “Loving Me Back,” a powerful duet with Lee Ann Womack, suggests that there’s plenty to come from these admirable country upstarts. Michael McCall, AP