Cyril May is Aussie-born and there’s no mistaking it. The music that comes out of this globe-trotting singer-songwriter could only come from someone with one foot in the outback…or, in Mr. May’s case, someone born in the lovely-sounding Hellhole Creek, Victoria.

However, there’s more to Cyril May than “Tie Me Kangaroo Down” (though he does do a song called “Partyin’ Kangaroos”. Wallaby darned!).

The influence of American Country and Western music is plain to hear, but it’s less of a Nashville or Appalachian sound than the down home sounds of Bakersfield, California — which, before you object, is recognized far and wide among C&W aficionados as a significant subgenre in and of itself (or hadn’t you heard of Buck Owens?).

Plus, Cyril May soaks his songs in an unique infusion of cheeky humor. Take Jimmy Buffet, Ringo Starr, and a dose of The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and you’re still a million miles away but you’re at least in the right universe.

I hate labeling anyone with the dreaded “novelty” tag, but I dare you to try to categorize May’s music without at least considering the term.

“Too Much Shit” and “The Fart Song” are the most immediate song titles that come to mind, but “Sock Gobbler” and “Macho Mountain Mama” are among my favorites.

He’s not one of those status-seeking kids that desperately needs to be taken seriously, and he’s not one of those aging performers who believe that their past sales and celebrity have earned them some sort of pretentious gravitas.

The best part about Cyril May? He goes great with beer and barbecue, especially a bit of a bonfire at the beach. He’s as much a surfer as he is a roamer, though he’s currently more-or-less settled in Long Beach (ironically, his MexiCali musical partner,  Jack McDonald, now lives in Australia).