Silverada

The Austin band formerly known as Mike and the Moonpies do use their debut as Silverada as an opportunity to reboot the groups career, yet that very phrase suggests this self-titled record is a dramatic affair, which it decidedly isnt. Silverada is cool and assured, a mellow record rooted in the country music that wouldve played on jukeboxes into the early 90s -- hardcore country with an eye on pleasing audiences without ever drifting into the pop charts. In form, its not far removed from Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold, the groups gorgeous evocation of neon-lit barrooms, yet there are differences, specifically in how Silverada runs leaner than Mike and the Moonpies. While the band never feels stripped to the bone, the group keeps a focus on humming rhythms -- listen to the reconstituted yacht country of "Eagle Rare" or the urgent pulse of "Wallflower" -- and that underpinning helps Silverada seem as efficient as it does sleek. All of the polish helps accentuate the bands casual proficiency: "Anywhere But Here" glides by on its breezy melody, the plaintive "Stay by My Side" lingers like prime Willie Nelson, and Brent Cobb helps ratchet up the boogie of "Something Im Working On." All of these nods to the past arent much more than nods. Silverada arent on a nostalgia trip, theyre synthesizing the best of the past for the present, and the results are lively, entertaining, and rich. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine