Rambler 65
The fortyish Vaughn isn't old enough to have lived through the '60s as an adult, but still he's an unswerving disciple of southern soul, Tex-Mex, and AM pop/rock staples of that era. Though he's written songs for Marshall Crenshaw and with everyone from Dave Alvin to Alex Chilton, his own albums often come up short. (He's only a so-so singer and most of his songs sound like they've been written before.) Why, then, is Rambler 65 so much fun? It could be the gimmick behind its creation (Vaughn recorded this lowest of fi album in the car named in its title). More it's the songs themselves: the Nick Lowe-like raver "Seven Days Without Love," the psychedelic pop of "Levitation," and Sir Douglas Quintet sound of "Boomerang." Sure, it's dopey at times ("Heavy Machinery" and the god-awful "Rock is Dead"), but mostly it's good, retro fun.--Keith Moerer