Gourds

According to some, Americana isn't living up to its mandate unless it's making some kind of profound statement on rural and urban lifestyles, or at least mocking the difference. Yet, Austin, TX mainstays the Gourds have always skirted that issue by simply writing songs that demand nothing from the listener, apart from a willingness to have a good time. They may have not received the respect they deserve because of this but that hasn't diminished the conviction they've shown in advancing this philosophy over the past decade. Haymaker! doesn't contain any huge surprises for Gourds fans but at 14 tracks it's jam-packed with their swampy sonic gumbo, still as vibrant as their hometown. And with songs that variously conjure the ghosts of Doug Sahm and Rick Danko, Haymaker! solidifies the unique and important spot that the Gourds have always occupied within the alt-country scene. All these guys do is rock, and sometimes that can be enough, especially when it's done right.