BARRY COURTER: Two thoughts kept running through my head listening to the latest from the Drive-By Truckers, a band that has been playing here for years. First, they sound a lot like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Second, I'd love to hear this record live.
Comparing an artist to someone else is something we try hard to avoid, but when it stares you in the face, it needs to be talked about. And, it's not a bad thing. I love Tom Petty and I like Patterson Hood's vocals as well.
CASEY PHILLIPS: I hate to add another name to the pile here, but I would tack on Steve Earle to Hood's vocal sound-alike list. Personally, my favorite song was actually written and sung by Mike Cooley, who has a tinge of Cash to his vocals. That's the great thing about the Truckers, three lead singers (Shonna Tucker tackles a pair here as well) who have distinct, equally enjoyable vocals styles.
BARRY: This CD is a collection of road songs with a rock soundtrack. Driving rhythms are paired with jangly and slide guitars to create a fresh sound that feels very familiar.
For the first time, bassist Tucker contributes two originals that also feature her singing lead, and they are both welcome additions. The first, "You Got Another," is a break in the action and is a nice surprise with its slower, piano-driven feel. "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So" is a more uptempto number with a little Loretta Lynn-type attitude.
CASEY: As with most Trucker albums, this baker's dozen of songs dwells on some pretty depressing topics.
You'll hear tales of murdered priests ("The Wig He Made Her Wear"), prostitutes ("Birthday Boy"), drunks ("The Fourth Night of My Drinking"), dead fathers ("Daddy Learned to Fly") and even a historically accurate circus tragedy ("The Flying Wallendas"). My aforementioned favorite is "Get Downtown," a clever, tongue-in-cheek rockabilly take on economic woes and martial strife, one of two tracks sung by erstwhile guitarist Cooley.
Whoever's singing, however, the band does a phenomenal job constructing a Sampson-like sonic presence in their songs that commands your attention.
BARRY: Sometimes with multiple singers, an album can sound confused, but I like the mixture. I also like the fact that the band likes to experiment with sounds and styles.
CASEY: I've always loved the Truckers for their twisted, dark approach to Southern rock, a kind of a Southern Gothic take on the genre. Hood's narrative style, in particular, lends his songs an engrossing, literary feel that reminds me of Rick Bragg, one of my favorite Southern authors. Even if the characters in "The Big To-Do" are basically a menagerie of human sorrows, I, for one, didn't feel guilty for enjoying myself at their expense.
BARRY: It's good record with lots of layers that warrant coming back to discover new things.