Lucero – 1372 Overton Park

I first heard them in 2003 (I think) and first saw them live in 2004, and somehow over the past 6 years or so Lucero has become my favorite band. I mean, I’ve seen them live a dozen or so times and my Last.fm stats pretty much echo that. At a time in my life when the shows I go to are getting fewer and farther between, I don’t usually miss Lucero when they come to town. All this brings me to the release of Lucero’s latest album 1372 Overton Park, their seventh studio album and first on a major label.

If I was to sum up 1372 Overton Park in one sentence, I would mumble something about how it’s the same Lucero I know and love but with a bit more grooming and polish. As I expected, this isn’t as raw or raucous as their live show or some of their earlier albums, but is still perfectly representative of what Lucero sounds like. Frontman Ben Nichols is as captivating as ever (maybe a little more as the vocals are mixed a wee bit high) and the best songs on the album are as good as any that he’s written, plus the addition of Rick Steff as (seemingly) a full time member on keys has augmented the Lucero sound as have the brass arrangements that appear on nearly every song. You knew I’d get to it sooner or later, right? Yeah, the band liberally uses horns.

Obviously, the addition of a horn section that’s featured prominently on almost every track on 1372 Overton Park is the biggest change that long-time fans will notice; a change that give a number of songs an almost Hold Steady-ish vibe or (maybe more accurately) a Memphis soul sound. Maybe it’s worth noting that Ben contributed vocals to a handful of songs on The Hold Steady’s last album Stay Positive, maybe not. Whatever the case, it really sounds as if Lucero is getting ready for at least an attempt at “making it” and becoming known to a wider audience. And if any band deserves it, Lucero is that band.

It’s the evolution of a country-punk band whose gruff twang was always bigger than the sum of its parts. So what’s the deal with the new album? Well, it starts off with the slow sweet build of “Smoke” and it’s gauzey backdrop, which (to me) almost sounds like it could have been from That Much Further West, more so than anything the band has done since then. It’s an incredible song that would make for one hell of a closer for their live set. It’s followed by “What Are You Willing To Lose,” which (again) has a refrain that you’ll be able to sing along to before your first spin is over. It’s a typical Lucero rocker (a la “Bikeriders”) that is anything but typical.

“Sound Of The City” is another good mid-tempo rocker that also prominently features horns and some sweet organ tones and even though the chorus sounds strikingly similar to the pre-chorus on “Smoke,” it’s still a keeper. The first slow song on 1372 Overton Park is “Can’t Feel A Thing” which (aside from the smooth-yet-sultry soulful horns) also sounds like awesome yet understated totally vintage Lucero. From there, the band revs back up for the swingin’ “The Devil And Maggie Chascarillo,” which might be most overtly catchy head-bopping song Ben and the boys have ever written. It’s a great song that actually reminds me a bit of Huey Lewis (that’s not a bad thing here) and when at 2:20 the song is stripped down to just a ragtimey piano fill, I get goosebumps.

The next song, “Sixes and Sevens” isn’t really my thing. It’s not terrible, but the horn lines are cheesy and with the backup singers it sounds like something a late night TV show house band would play as they’re going to commercial. It just doesn’t do it for me. “Goodbye Again” is another slow soulful ballad that’s followed by “Johnny Davis,” the first song that doesn’t feature any horns. It’s also the punkest and trashiest song on the album. It’s the point during the live set where the fights break out. “Darken My Door” is another ballad but burns and builds where “Goodbye Again” doesn’t.

“Halfway Wrong” is relatively simple song anchored by an unassuming melody and chord progression played by a jangly electric guitar. No big chorus here, but it’s a solid tune and the most “country” thing on the album. It also doesn’t have any horns. “Hey Darlin’ Do You Gamble” is the gem of the album’s second half. Complete with Todd Beene’s excellent pedal steel, this almost sounds like it coulda been from Ben’s solo album released last year. This is what Lucero sounds like at their best, and you can just about feel the ache. And instead of ending the album with a song about his grandfather, Ben sings the aptly titled, sparsely beautiful, and completely amazing “Mom,” a song that may (perhaps) take the place of “The War” in Lucero’s live sets.

With each spin 1372 Overton Park is becoming a better and better record. Not that it wasn’t great the first time, it was, but (at least for me) it took a little while to get used to the horns. There I said it. Honestly though, this might just be Lucero’s best album yet. I don’t have the history with 1372 Overton Park like I do with their earlier records, but there’s plenty of time for late whiskey-fueled Lucero nights ahead.

MP3:
Lucero - The Devil And Maggie Chascarillo
Lucero - Smoke