Andrew Swift ticks a lot of thematic boxes for country music—namely, songs about drinking, loving, working and playing hard—but his sound owes just as much to expansive heartland rock. The Australian singer-songwriter even got his start playing in pop-punk and indie rock bands, which also contributes to his fresh, accessible approach to country. Lightning Strikes and Neon Nights opens with the Bruce Springsteen-esque anthem “Boombox Romance”, an earnest yet self-aware mingling of romance and nostalgia. “We’ve got a script that would put Hollywood to shame,” Swift brags to his long-time paramour. These songs are further shored up by some well-deployed collaborations: Kevin Bennett from Sydney roots veterans The Flood guests on “The Question”, while Swift’s girlfriend Simone Sordello features on the winking co-write “You and Me and a Bottle of Whiskey”.