BR549: This Is BR549

In the alt-country sphere, BR549 has long been a standard-bearer for a kind of imaginary Nashville that never forgot the lessons imparted by the hardcore honky-tonk values of Bakersfield, and stood by the freewheeling sound of western swing. Though the group's albums don't always come loaded with surprises, typically mixing originals with country classics and less-expected cover songs, they more than compensate with high quality and consistency. There's no mistaking This Is BR549 for anything other than a BR549 record. The album-opening first single, "Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal"—which name-checks both Greyhound buses and the L.L. Bean catalog—is classic hard country played tough and tight. If the group hopes to break into country radio without compromising its sound, that song sounds like its best shot. Elsewhere, BR549 pays homage to classic rock 'n' roll with a juiced-up cover of The Everly Brothers' "The Price Of Love," and finds common ground with English pub-rock in a take on the Nick Lowe-penned "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)." But speed isn't the band's only trick; here, BR549 places a greater emphasis on ballads and mid-tempo numbers than ever before. When compared to the group's breakneck debut, portions of This Is can sound positively sluggish, but in general, BR549 does just fine by the slower material. It doesn't quite redeem the maudlin sentiments of Anne Murray's "A Little Good News," but "The Game," written by Gary Bennett, proves a highlight. Will this be the album to break the group into the big time Probably not, but BR549's niche suits it so well that that might ultimately be for the best.