Everette: ‘Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B’ – Review

Everette’s new project, Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B is out now, October 7th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

With a traditional yet modern sound and a sense of humor rarely seen in the genre, Everette – made up of Brent Rupard and Anthony Olympia  – is one of country music’s most interesting new acts. Today, the duo released the follow-up to their 2020 album with Broken Bow Records, Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B.

From the project’s name alone, it’s immediately clear that Everette is a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “From beginning to end of Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B, we explore every shade of us stylistically and lyrically,” says the duo in a statement. “These songs relive the stories from our 16 years of friendship and musical partnership that made Everette. We feel like the world can use a little off-the-wall crazy to escape every now and then, and we’d love to take you there and back again.”

From the opening strains of “Run,” Everette sets the tone for an album that both veers traditional, yet toes the line to modern and beyond. On the mid-tempo, almost-Eagles-inspired ballad, the pair are setting someone free, with the hopes that she comes back. “Run wild free and when you run out of road,” They plead. “Baby run, run, run// run right back to me.”

Meanwhile, the dynamic duo introduce a hand-clapping twang on the sunny, banjo-laden “Woo Hoo Hoo,” which has them looking at the bright side of life. “Life’s too short to see your glass half empty,” They muse. “Gotta understand when half is plenty.” 

In that same vein is the endlessly catchy “Shunk as Drit,” which is a tongue-in-cheek twangy celebration of one’s last day on Earth. On “She Got That From Me,” they offer a clever lyrical spin on the idea of being the heartbreaker as opposed to the heartbroken, while “Wild Woman” is a driving guitar-heavy track about a woman who simply drives them wild.

There’s also the uber-catchy standout tracks, “Gonna Be a Problem” and “Make Me Want One.” The former could easily be an Eric Church single, in the best way possible, while the latter is another immediate earworm, finding the boys wanting things they’ve never wanted before, in a clever way that is purely Everette.

“You’re gonna be a smile stuck in my head // Makin’ me roll around in my bed // Drivin’ all night with bloodshot eyes // Tryna get to you by the mornin’ ligh t// You’re gonna be the reason // I’m havin’ trouble breathin’ // I can already see it now // You’re gonna be // You’re gonna be a problem”

Side B ends with “Get By,” a catchy singalong track, made for a live show, the pair admitting that we’re all alike, as “we’re all trying to get by.” 

With a mix of clever lyrics and classic country instrumentation, Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B is truly one of the most interesting projects in recent memory. Despite not taking themselves too seriously, Everette still manages to put out pure country bangers that are sure to take them from the Dairy Queen parking lot to the main stage in no time.

Everette – Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot: Side B Track List: