Lighter Fight

pic: plushtucson.com

I was just sent Thrift Store Cowboy's newest album, Light Fighter. It's not bad.

I had heard of this band (hell, they may be on my I-Pod for all I know--that's happened before) but was pretty sure I hadn't heard of them. Then I realized their producer was Craig Schumacher (Neko Case, Iron and Wine) and was more intrigued. It's easy listening. Not quite country, not quite rock. Good for fans of Ryan Adams, Neko Case, or Roadside Graves.

The problem? They're not Ryan Adams, Neko Case, or Roadside Graves. The identity is a little less defined--at least on my first listen. I'd like to see them live and give that a decent shot. The guitar riffs are good and sound like they would really rock live, but muted via a laptop speaker, the desparation in Daniel Fluett's voice is more "life sucks" than "I hate myself and want to die." I prefer my country of the latter variety. Again, I'm not saying this is a bad record. I'm already liking it more on the second go-round.

Listen for yourself here and lemme know what you think.