My Cousin, The Emperor is like a country version of Pavement. They have nuances of a lo-fi 90s band, mixed with a country acoustic twang. And the fact that the band dresses like total dandies is mesmerizing. The pluck of a banjo is always best when done by Steve Martin or someone wearing a newsboy cap and a waistcoat. This good old country quartet has created a debut album that is a modern Dixieland treasure. My Cousin, The Emperor is to country what Back to the Future III is to cowboy movies, for their mixture of country with other genres makes country more accessible to those who hate it. My Cousin, The Emperor definitely has the power to convert the skeptics. – CS