By Joshua Knopp/entertainment editor
When people can’t tell whether or not they’re enjoying something, they tend to keep listening to try and find out.
This is the case with Honky Tonk Merry Go Round. The fourth album by The Lucky Tomblin Band follows right along the lines of the first three ─ relaxed Americana, good to dance to, good to listen to.
If anything can be questioned about this album, authenticity isn’t it. The Austin-based band sounds aggressively Texan in every track and mentions the state in some of its lyrics. The Lucky Tomblin Band’s lesser-known status also contributes to its honest feel. The members have been active for quite a while but have not compromised themselves to achieve stardom.
The music is relaxing, and while some stretches are quite heavily focused on lost love, time seems to fly when listening.
Something that creeps in the back of the mind about this album, however, is its disturbing number of covers. Nine of the 14 tracks have been previously released by different artists, and the five originals (“She Loves Anything that Swings,” “Open Up Your Heart And Let Me Go,” “Get a Little Goner,” “The Train Always Runs on Time” and “The Other Side of the Blues”) won’t exactly stand on their own. This could be the reason they’re not widely known, or they could be doing this because of their relative anonymity.
Whatever the case, why bother selling or buying an album that has only five songs by the featured band?
