The Dirty Truckers “Second Dose”

If ever there was a quote that told you all you want to hear about a band then it has to be this description of the new relese from The Dirty Truckers:

“celebrating the recklessness & abandonment of Barroom-Heartland Rock n’ Roll, delivering the spirit of the moment and kicking its arse into high gear”.

For those that aren’t aware of the band, Rumbar Records are giving you a chance to get familiar with them (having previously released their brilliant best of album  

Thankfully, the first song on this album, “Little Mine” really does live up to that billing, it’s an absolute corker of a rock song. It’s also certainly not alone, tracks like “Hotel Highway” are like pure adrenalin shots of rock n roll. If ever a band had the perfect name to match their sound then it’s The Dirty Truckers. Tracks like “Back To Back” and “Not Missing A Thing” just make you dream that you can jump in your pick up and speed down dusty tracks until you reach a dirty bar.

What we really love about The Dirty Truckers is they still offer up a bit of sweetness amongst the trash. That means we get a bit of power pop thrown in on the catchy “Arms Length”. That song’s great but it’s topped by the brilliant “Feedback” a song that sounds like a cowboy Elvis Costello. It’s so contagious and is one of the best songs we’ve heard all year. 2020.

Heck, even their choice of covers is exceptional. We’re huge fans of The Replacements and don’t think many bands can touch them, but The Dirty Truckers pull of a brilliant version of “Sixteen Blue”. They then follow it up with “Ragin Eyes” a track by a man who knows his way around a damn fine pop/rocker, Nick Lowe.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard an album that’s delivered such great, straight up rock n roll. The consistency of this band’s material is comparable to that of bands like Lucero or Two Cow Garage. If you ever wondered what the house band at Merlotte’s Bar in True Blood would sound like, then pop this on your stereo, grab some beers and have a good time.