About a third of the way into “Honkytonk Hollywood” (it’s a mammoth affair of 17 songs), there’s a track called “Hey California”. And Jon Pardi’s girlfriend has left him to chase her dreams. Suffice to say, he’s not happy. “She’s somewhere on the West Coast, Fleetwood on her headphones, running round them hills in Hollywood…..”
The way he spits his contempt would grace a punk rock record, but more than that, it sums up the ethos here—just as a track a little later, “He Went to Work”, does. On that one, he speaks about his father’s work ethic and offers: “He didn’t take a few years after senior year, trying to find himself.”
The inference on both is clear: he’s a working-class man, and he’s damn proud—albeit he’s got Californian roots himself.
Essentially, “Honkytonk Hollywood” is the natural successor to 2022’s “Mr. Saturday Night”, and it gives a modern sheen to honky tonk. Opener “Boots Off” does that, but this is a better, more diverse record than its predecessor.
It’s a study in rock ‘n’ roll given a country twist. Production by Jay Joyce (these days a member of Bon Jovi) helps “Friday Night Heartbreaker” sound like an arena rocker, but on stuff like “She Gets to Drinking”, it feels as familiar as any ’70s classic.
“Gamblin’ Man” is supreme troubadour work, but this collection covers plenty of ground. Huge choruses like “Rush” and huge tear-jerkers like the brilliantly sentimental “She Drives Away” mix with pop stuff that Parmalee would be happy with. That’s all “Last Call Thing” is. And it’s all it wants to be.
The title track is wonderfully done, and the whole thing sounds like a million dollars (which it’ll probably make if it follows in the footsteps of his other four).
The slide guitar on “Love the Lights Out” is filthy, and the self-deprecation of “Nice Place to Visit” would have graced “Elvis Country”—the album that made MV love this sound, despite sitting in the middle of the UK.
“Hard Knocks” is tougher than the rest, as Springsteen would say, and it mixes well with the heartbroken “Don’t You Wanna Know” and the classic sound of “Bar Room Blue”. The sort of song you’ve heard a million times but can’t resist. And if “Who I Don’t Wanna Be” lays its soul bare, then “Kinda Wanna Keep It That Way” knows exactly what it is.
“The kind of man that just can’t stand to stand in one place. I kinda am what I am, kinda don’t give a damn,” he sings in its chorus—and undeniably, that single-mindedness has propelled him forward here.
And if honky tonk needs a modern makeover, then on “Honkytonk Hollywood”, Jon Pardi proves he’s the man to do it. It might even be enough to get the girl with Fleetwood Mac playing back. Or they might just be rumours…
Rating: 8.5/10
REVIEW: JON PARDI – HONKYTONK HOLLYWOOD (2025)
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