Paul Pigat is a believer in the Big Twang. Based in Vancouver, he plays guitar like he was born under a bad neon sign in Memphis.

Pigat is the guitarist, composer, and bandleader of Cousin Harley, a roots/ rockabilly combo backed by string bassman Keith Picot and drummer Jesse Cahill.

Pigat picks with abandon and assurance, rolling out rollicking rockabilly licks, old-timey country double-stops, and pedal steel-style voicings that make It’s a Sin one hot little number.

But this is much more than just a rockabilly revival record. The songlist also includes twangy twists on the theme along with other sounds of the era, including proto-surf romps, spaghetti-western soundtracks, and Pigat’s stylish Western swing and jump blues themes.

Cousin Harley is a tight combo. Not only is their music spot-on, they’re obviously having a great time playing it!

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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