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The Derailers "Reverb Deluxe"
Watermelon Records, released: 1998
This group hails from Austin, Texas, and pumps out rockin' country tunes a la Buck Owens with alarming greatness and consistency. This whole album is a keeper, from the opening riffs of "One More Time" to the non-listed countrified cover of Prince's "Raspberry Beret". The sound here is simple: Fender Telecaster, acoustic guitar, bass, pedal steel, and drums. But it's powerful simple. The Tele twangs just like it should, and Brian Hoefeldt and Tony Villaneueva sing with just the right intonations and inflections to make you think country. But this is bar room country, not stadium rock masquerading as country. I saw the Derailers play recently at the Bottom Line, and they rocked the house. If you're looking for great contemporary rockin' country, search no further: The Derailers are it.
[CCL 08/20/98]