LUCERO

SHOULD’VE LEARNED BY NOW

LIBERTY & LAMENT/THIRTY TIGERS

Lucero are coming up to quarter of a century in the rock ’n’ roll and alt-country game and the Memphis band’s new album finds them returning to their bristling, punk’ish country-rock template after a run of more introspective releases. It’s a thrilling reminder of how great a rock band they are.

The twin pillars of the Lucero sound are the anthemic swerve and slash guitars of Brian Venable and singer Ben Nichols. The latter’s voice immediately identifies these as Lucero songs. The growl and gravelly howl from his ravaged larynx is their trademark sound. Impassioned and anthemic, he (and the band) are still grounded in the garages and small bars yet adaptable to an arena. 

Standouts on the album include the Replacements-like dusty melodies of ‘One Last F.U.’, the infectious central riffs of ‘Macon If We Make It’, the desperation of ‘Buy A Little Time’ and the title-track that could easily be a lost Australian pub rock classic. The focus on Rick Steff’s keyboards on a number of tracks evoke the E Street Band and The Band, adding a sense of classicism to the surrounding raw guitar grit. 

Well established yet always fascinating and refreshing with each new album, Lucero continue to stake their claim as one of the finest alt-country bands of the 21st century.

CHRIS FAMILTON