On the national scope, Austin is considered the heart of Texas music. But the Hollisters’ long-awaited debut, The Land Of Rhythm And Pleasure, may be the record that puts Houston on folks’ minds when they think of country bands from Texas. It proves, without a doubt, that this band’s brand of traditional honky-tonk and revved-up roots rock easily stands toe-to-toe with any band cultivating similar territory in Austin — or anywhere else, for that matter.
With Mike Barfield’s healthy growl (think a young Johnny Cash) and Eric Danheim’s sleek guitar work leading the way, the Hollisters show a deep respect for the Bakersfield sound. This is especially true on songs such as the aging trucker’s anthem “Better Slow Down” and their lively cover of Nick Lowe’s “Without Love”. However, they’ve also fashioned a distinctive sound by including such diverse tunes as the delicate, Tex-Mex influenced “Pink Adobe Hacienda” and the hard-charging “Goldbrick Wheeler”.
Some of Austin’s best musicians did have a hand in making The Land Of Rhythm And Pleasure a success. Casper Rawls, best known as guitarist with the LeRoi Brothers and Toni Price, produced the record with a clear and refined touch, while singer-songwriter Libbi Bosworth adds sweet harmonies to the disc’s first track, “East Texas Pines”, a tune she also co-wrote. Overall, though, The Land Of Rhythm And Pleasure is the pride of Houston, an excellent document of the best band to come out of Texas’ largest city in a long time.