Album reviews: Sacred, by Los Lonely Boys
“Sacred” is the second album released by the equally talented West Texan musical brothers Henry, Jo Jo and Ringo Garza; they play in an outfit called Los Lonely Boys and are already Grammy award winners with their hit single “Heaven”.
The thirteen tracks on the album are all energetic and their Texican style rock n’ roll is gutsy, a little rough-edged but ultimately more accomplished than their debut self-titled disc which was one of the best-selling blues-rock albums of all time. One track “Diamonds” stands out as being potentially as big a hit as “Heaven” which impressively rose to #1 on the music charts.
To the brothers credit they have resisted from going the well-worn over-commercialized route that so many ‘overnight’ success stories traverse and have instead produced an organic sounding album that resonates with blues and Mexican soul. Themes of heartbreak, eternal love and divine devotion infiltrate the album’s tracks and there is a certain tough quality imbued in their compositions.
Ironically, their Father, the legendary musician Enrique Garza Sr. was also a member of a band, “The Falcones”, with his brothers back in the 1970’s; Garza Senior joins his sons on this album as does the extraordinarily talented Willie Nelson, (playing on the track “Outlaws”).
All of the tracks on the album are written or co-written by the Garza brothers so it certainly bears their personal musical stamp; an original lineup of instruments also feature including horns, button accordion, electric piano and harmonica. One slight criticism of their lyrics would be the slightly banal and simple language that they employ, however their sheer musical talent and natural rhythm makes up for this.
If you keep in mind that Los Lonely Boys have already played with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, Carlos Santana and the Doobie Brothers in the course of their short professional music career, you’ll start to understand what a prodigious and fast-rising talent this outfit really is.
‘Sacred’ was released in July, 2006, a year later than anticipated, on the Sony label and features a spiritual pastiche of Mexican/Spanish scenes on the album cover. The album is also available with DVD content of their live performances and behind the scenes look at studio sessions.
One reviewer described Los Lonely Boys as the ‘Latino version of the next Rolling Stones’. High praise indeed but ‘Sacred’ certainly lives up to what is fast becoming an exceptional musical talent!
TRACK LISTING:
1. ‘My Way’
2. ‘Orale’
3. ‘Diamonds’
4. ‘Oye Mamacita’
5. ‘I never met a woman’
6. ‘Roses’
7. ‘Texican Style’
8. ‘One more day’
9. ‘Memories’
10. ‘My loneliness’
11. ‘Outlaws’ – (with Willie Nelson)
12. ‘Home’
13. ‘Living my life’
OTHER RECOMMENDED ALBUMS:
“Los Lonely Boys” (1997), “Live at the Fillmore” (2005).
SOURCES:
www.associatedcontent.com
top40.about.com
www.amazon.com
www.artistdirect.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.loslonelyboys.org
www.cinemablend.com
music.monstersandcritics.com
www.rollingstone.com
www.popmatters.com
www.austin360.com
www.stlblues.net
Tags: Button Accordion, Debut Self, Overnight Success