Memphis rockers channel The Boss
Like Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., Lucero’s sixth album is named after the band’s home (1372 Overton Park was the address of the Memphis crew’s loft) and it’s comprised of anthemic story songs of lonely nights in the city’s darkest corners. While Ben Nichols’ sandpaper howl has always done his soulful hometown justice, this time Lucero adds a horn section to its dusty country punk for some extra Memphis flavor. But Overton Park best reps its city when it’s not trying so hard. While Lucero could’ve passed on the E Street saxes, Springsteen’s our-gang-versus-the-man mentality suits the band well. When Nichols growls, “Me and my friends, we might not look like much, but we got the time and know when to push our luck” (on bar-fight soundtrack “Sounds of the City”), you know which side of the rumble you should be on.