All the Pain Money Can Buy
On this second album, these rockers from Austin, Texas, demonstrate a flair for perfect mid-'60s pop epitomized by the Kinks and the early Who. The opening track, "The Way," was an early break-out hit for the trio, but the entire album offers similarly uptempo serenades. It's a surprising direction for a band known for its hard-rocking live sets, but an early clue of their fondness for romantic hokum came on their remake of Bacharach & David's "This Guy's in Love with You" from 1997'sLounge-A-Paloozatribute album. Some of these songs actually come off tougher live, but that doesn't detract from the simple pleasures of this record, which is smooth, smart, and moving.--Steve Appleford