Lonesome Heroes "Daydream Western"

January, 2012

Great songs, disappointingly rendered

• This album should be so much better than it is. The cover is real purty, the opening Chris Isaak-style slide guitar of the first track, 'Something Reckless', promises an album of sultry strung-out cowboy songs but Rich Russel’s slightly wet voice just doesn’t quite impress enough, though the song is well-written and witty.

• Sadly, for me, neither does Landry McMean’s. But I’m not entirely sure what the problem is. It could be something to do with the hazy production or simply not enough emphasis on the vocals.

  The Texas-based duo’s sound is indie-rock-folk-pop throughout with an emphasis on the cowboy. Irritating production issues aside, the songs are very good. Aspens takes one listen before it’s firmly embedded in the brain like the road-trip anthem it’s clearly meant to be. 'Wrinkles' is a jaunty, catchy number with a nice psychedelic “surprise” at the end. 'Highway 287' is similarly catchy and pretty but, as in most of the songs, I found myself straining to properly hear the words or wishing the voices were stronger. Or, dare I say it, that someone else was singing the songs…