On Ole 60’s debut album Smokestack Town, the Kentucky six-piece band artfully spins a number of disparate influences into a fresh take on country music’s rich history. Imbued with elements of Southern rock, blues, and folk, Smokestack Town spins the tropes and signifiers of roots music into something unique and fresh. The opening title track kicks off with a massive drum fill and wailing guitar notes before vocalist Jacob Ty Young travels to that “lonely smokestack town” where feelings are mixed between ambivalence and comfort. Yes, the smokestack town is a place that never really changes, but there’s also some comfort in knowing exactly what to expect. It’s this blend of tradition and a yearning for innovation that informs all of Smokestack Town. “Nancy Avenue” is a slow-moving ballad, as Young recalls his young days of getting high and heartbreak. It’s a painful memory, but one he looks back on with a strange fondness, too.