Stunningly beautiful. Nothing sums up Neeve Zahra’s new single better. ‘Rub a Little Dirt On It’ is one of those rare moments when the magic of the acoustic guitar works to unbelievable effect. The delicacy with which this Country-Folk track is played is matched by very few UK artists in the genre. It is classic Shires, with perfectly-blended male/female harmonies to boot. Neeve and Ben Walker’s vocal movements are so well choreographed as to become a tender dance. Such is the gentleness conveyed in their performance that the love at its centre becomes soft as the grass on the cover image; fragile and blessed. The oxymoronic lines “let me go / hold me close” and “rub a little dirt on it / fix it up brand new” then add a lovely playfulness to the relationship in the lyrics. They do what all the best country love songs do. That is, rather than descending into romantic cliché, it finds a fresh way of expressing that universal feeling, retaining emotional depth through creative storytelling. No one does this better right now than Neeve Zahra. ‘Rub a Little Dirt On It’ is definitely an early contender for UK Country Song of 2024.
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Featured Image (C) Neeve Zahra
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