Artist Lucero

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Lucero

Lucero isn’t the first punk band to go country, but it’s done it better than most. After more than a decade together, the Memphis band hasn’t changed much in personality: The group remains a hard-working, hard-touring bunch and frontman Ben Nichols a charming, (usually) heartbroken country-rock crooner. But, of course, no one who starts out as an alt-country band seems to stay there, and Lucero’s major-label debut, 2009’s 1372 Overton Park, proves that. Gone are the blatant Son Volt-isms of its early work, and in their place is more nuanced and compelling roots-rock. The big-label budget provides some nice flourishes—like lots of horns, courtesy of soul legend Jim Spake—but Lucero remains at its scratchy best.

Updated 02/09/2011