Customer Reviews

Lucky Tomblin Band

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the kind of under-the-radar country album that renews one's faith in the indie scene in general, and Texas in particular. Old-time Austin locals with a strong set of honkytonk-tinged originals, and guitarist Redd Volkaert in among all the good-natured pickers who give this disc its loose, limber sound. The first couple of Texas shufflin' songs have a vigorous originality, then Tomblin takes a socially-conscious, folkie turn on "Illegal Man," about a fella who gets gets a taste of what the life of an undocumented worker is like (though the songs doesn't quite explain how he arrived there... ) Then the rest of the album starts to drift a bit, with strongest songs at the start; still, the Tomblin crew sounds pretty solid, and this disc is certainly worth checking out.

The Lucky Tomblin Band's self-titled CD unites a bunch of ace musicians from the Austin, TX, hotbed of music for a stellar recording session. The resulting blend of honky-tonk, Tex-Mex, and country and western tunes---with dashes of rock and blues thrown in for good measure---comes across with grace and style to spare.

Mr. Tomblin possesses a wonderful voice that alternately conveys a dead-on "I've seen it all" wisdom, a sense of humor and humility, and a touch of mischief. The songs here, number are tightly arranged and sound fresh, even though they are drawn from what some might wrongly consider a worn-out genre. The whole session comes off as effortless---a testament to the craft and skills of all involved. (It's great when music triumphs over ego, isn't it!)

If I had to pick my favorites today, I'd go with Ain't No Piece of Cake and Sense of Wonder, but my choices are apt to change tomorrow.

This eclectic set of tunes makes a fine soundtrack for a drive in the country or a backyard BBQ. Even those folks who dislike country music might begrudgingly agree that this CD is pretty cool.