Austin Sound

The Lonesome Heroes make a kind of country cut with a little psychedelic dripping, courtesy of fronters Landry McMeans and Rich Russell. When you think McMeans and Russell, think ham and cheese, or better yet, peanut butter and jelly, endlessly complimenting each other throughout the album making it crunchy on the lips and filling for your ears. With rough guitar distortion, McMeans’ Texas trill, and Russell’s drier vocals, the group’s debut full length flourishes in its ability to be a guiltless revelry that extends beyond alt country. Evoking sounds from the Cowboy Junkies to a twangier/funkier version of Alison Krauss the album draws the listener in with ease.

Opening with “Lonestar,” Russell upfront, McMeans harmonizing and guitar sweeps that chug along, the album unfolds. “Camary” is a sweet version with McMeans slight voice dominating the track and quietly accompanied with plaintive fiddle. “Detained Dream” is a duet that picks up the pace and adds a bit more country twang with some distorted guitar and a nice climax of Sarah Stollack’s fiddle work ending the track in a positive alt country fashion. “Turn on the Sunshine” brings the sound back down to a Texas twang that’s a quiet duet dominated by the guitar and produces an ethereal sound in the background with Kullen Fuchs’ French horn.

“Drunken Pirate Ship” brings up the tempo and includes fiddle with Russell and McMeans sharing the lyrical front and then cries down a bit letting the fiddle take the forefront feeling more country than psychedelic. “Stardust” plays lighter and airier using McMeans vocals evoking a self assured lonesome twist in the country pull with a feeling of a little bit of the Cowboy Junkies background of ethos.

Closing with “Ancient Age,” the coupling of McMeans and Russell is powerful and feels authentic in encapsulating the sound that the LP produces. Superpop’s Seth Gibbs shades the sound with a masterfully wilting and subtle psych production, though the album is tightly wound in its direction and certainly feels more Texas country than psychedelic. And excellent offering from a talented duo that intertwine their talents to perfection.