Bret Amaker and The Rodeo

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo hail from Seattle, not the typical city for a band clearly influenced by country western; but then again who cares, as these guys care about nothing fashionable other than their sharp black attire. Even though there isn’t a song here longer than 3:42, this isn’t thoughtless country punk: they are real deal story tellers. The country-western shines on the cryptic dealings of “Garden of Love” or the cowboy bar anthem “Hammer Hits the Nail.”

From one bar story to another, Please Stand By rolls by quick, one Crazy Heart anthem after another, except these guys aren’t has-beens playing bowling alleys.  Amaker’s voice is more spoken word than country howl, which depreciates any old timey gracefulness for a rougher edge. Although Brent Amaker and the Rodeo don’t score any points for originality, these guys are no posers. Grab the bourbon and break out the poker chips.

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