Feel /t against layers of electric Auitarchords from Michael Jenkins and Cozmo

Holloway. The mood continues with Don'f

Give Up On Me featuring Chris Doody's

Hammond organ, while the solid Good

LuckCharm conjures up memories

of the Stones, Wilco and Southside

Johnny, introducing some raunchy

saxophone accompaniment. Doody's

keyboards again render strong supportonTemptotion, while brothers Justin and

Aaron Hoskins keep things steady on

bass and drums respectively as Trimble

delivers a frenetic chanted vocal. There

are more Stones echoes on HoneyYou,

while Dear Alice opens softly on mellow

piano chords before those scrubbed

southern rock guitars crash in once more,

Child lurches dangerously close to a

metal sensibility, and a rare acoustic intro

ushers in Goodnight Chicago. The album

closes on the thundering One Dance Left.

SOMEWHERE BENEATH THESE SOUTHERN

SKIES is a solid southern rock set, all

of whose 14 self-penned tracks are

immune to criticism. Okay, it's a tadderivative (hence four stars), but whatmusic isn't? And with album standoutssuch as the country-influenced Llve

Forever, the pensive, slightly distortedguitar notes of current single j000 Miles

and the gospel-tinged Lead Kindly

Light, il's really not a problem. This is

supercharged roots rock, its abrasive

electric guitar sounds fencing with cool

organ and soulful horns against wild,hollering vocals lf this studio offeringis anything to go by, the Guv'nahs must

be a devastating live act. Jeremy lsaocwww.thedirtyguvnahs.com

TimO'BrienandDarrell ScottMEMORIESANDMOMENTSFull Skies

****Supertwangy,

sto rytel li ng Am erica n a o nd cou ntry!It was more than a dozen years ago

that Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott got

together to record their acclaimed

REALTIME. ln the ensuing years they

have more-or-less pursued their own

solo musical careers, occasionally

getting together for the odd gig or

finding themselves on the same show.

Preceding this long-overdue-and much

anticipated-follow-up, last year theyreleased LIVE: WE'RE USUALLY A LOT BETTER

THAN THIS, with performances from duo

shows in 2005 and 2006. This new set was

recorded 'live'in the studio, with the pair

facing each other and bouncing off each

other to create an in-the-moment vibe

with few if any overdubs. lt is a traditional

album in every sense, a combination ofunabashed bluegrass, country, hillbillyand stomping, swampy mountain blues

that offers its allegiance to authentic

Americana origins.

Deft originals and covers such as

George )ones' Just One More, Hank

Williams'Aione And Forsaken and

.John Prine's Paradise, with the writerguesting on vocals, slide headlong

into one another in the guises of old-time, bluegrass, boisterous hillbilly,

and shufflin'blues. Each highlights theduo's expert string-bending and clearly

passionate singing. I first encountered

Tim's Brother Wind way back in 1995 on

his vastly underrated ROCK lN MY SHoE;

it's still a great song and this stripped-back version is first class. Together on

TheWell, their vocals exude passion, and

when they let loose with that soulful

edge, it's enough to make you wantto stand up and shout. As satisfying as

their debut was, this album has more

depth and texture and more of an

appealing, soulful approach. But Tim

and Darrell also do something far trickierthan making a satisfying record. By

touching the raw emotions underlyingthe traditional music they admire, theyexecute a call-and response between

the hardscrabble past and the anxious

present, a field holler echoing across theages. Alan Cackett

wwwtimanddarrell.com

MandoSaenzSTUDEBAKERCarnival Recording

Company

****The Nashville-based

singer-songwriter's

thi rd al bu m i s a p e rfect mix of tra ditio naland alternotive country styles-with a

dash of 1960s popthrown in

Having made hiswayto Nashvillevia

North Carolina;and spells in Corpus

Christi, 5an Antonio and Houston, Texas,

the Mexican-born singer songwriter

N EW RELEASES

follows his first two outings, the acoustic-

styled WATERTOWN (2005) and the more

upbeat BUCKET (2008) with a 1 2-track set

that sits well between the two, featuring

cameo appearances by a clutch of friends

including Kim Richey and Bobby Bare, Jr.

Mando Saenz's songwriting skills have

been well-honed, having penned most ofthe songs on recent albums by Stoney

LaRue and 5helly Colvin, while Lee Ann

Womackand Richey have also picked up on

his work, the latter including STUDEBAKER's

opener Breokaway Speedfor her latest

THORN IN MYHEARTaIbum.

Produced by Mark Nevers (the man

behind the desk for everybody from trad

acts such as Paul Overstreet, Laura Cantrell,

Alan Jackson, Charley Louvin and Marty

Stuart to Brooks & Dunn, Amy Grant and off-

the-wall acts including Lambchop, Calexico

and Bonnie'Prince'Billy), STUDEBAKER is a

perfect marriage of country and rock

melded to present Saenz's observational

lyrics. The pop-oriented opening cut,

Breakowoy Speed, was co-written with Kim

Richey who also provides vocal harmonies,

and features a strong electric guitar part

reminiscent of Jonathan Richman's

Roadrunner, and Bottle Scar optslor a

traditional toe-tapping rhythm complete

with understated twang.

WhileTallGrass is a nice snatch ofDobro-decorated western swing, and

Sweet Marie,with its playful keyboard runs,

shuffling rhythm and dual harmonies, is a .

gentle ode to love, there are a couple ofless appealing numbers here: Nobodyis

something of a funereal dirge, whileColorodo,which, the press release

purports: 'transports listeners to John

Ford's West,' may succeed lyrically, but

somehow fails to capture the wide open

spaces of the film director's best work, due

to its oppressive guitar chords and

lumbering rhythm. The closing Smiles AtThe Dooris another tender love song, once

again spotlighting Richey's fine vocal

harmonies, but for me the jewels in

STUDEBAKER's crown are the appropriately-titled Pocket Chonge, which invites

comparisons with the Beatles and Buffalo

Springfield and features a grating electric

guitar solo that evokes a host of 1960s

bands on both sides ofthe Atlantic, and

the slow love balladThey Don't Make'Em

LikeYou Anymore, whose appealing chorus

underlines Richey's shimmering harmony

vocal accompaniment. Jeremy lsoacwww.mandosaenzmusic.com/

Maverick 79