Lucero “All A Man Should Do”

Some bands just take you to a time and place, either real or fictional. Lucero takes us to the Southern States of the USA and with either a cold beer on a late sunny afternoon or a glass of bourbon on the porch on a dusty evening. This new album, once again, provides the perfect soundtrack to that image.
Opening track “You Want Me” is a laid back, country/Americana song which might be described as ‘typical’ Lucero. Along with “I Woke Up In New Orleans” they are slower songs which will appeal to fans of their earlier, more countrified work.
However, as a band, they have developed and grown over their last few albums and that progress continues here. A song like “Went Looking For Warren Zevon’s Los Angeles” therefore, has a more soulful edge. Whilst “Can’t You Hear Them Howl” is like the Rolling Stones at their best.

The band’s use of horns has caused some debate amongst their fans. We happen to be a huge fan of them and their impact is shown on “Throwback No2”, where they lift the country ballad into a great song with a fuller, Philly soul sound. Likewise, along with the organ riff, they add a punch to the brilliant “Young Outlaw”. It’s a highlight of the album and is the perfect accompaniment to a bar room drink. It provides a nice contrast to the mellow cover of Big Star’s “I’m In Love With A Girl”. The album then ends with the arms around the shoulders, singalong of the excellent “My Girl & Me In ‘93”.
Lucero are one of those bands who have now established their own ‘sound’. That isn’t to say that they are repetitive or formulaic. It does mean that you will be guaranteed an album of quality music that has a sense of authenticity that is missing from so much other music these days. Although we’re still tempted to find a cowboy hat to wear as we sip a whisky or beer whilst listening to the album!!