Lonesome Strangers – Land Of Opportunity
Jeff Rymes and Randy Weeks, a.k.a. The Lonesome Strangers, have been rustling up comparisons to the Everly Brothers, and for good reason. The duo’s harmonies are closer than a straight-edged shave, and the country-pop tunes on their latest release, Land Of Opportunity, master the fine art of telling sad stories while leaving listeners humming happily.
Pete Anderson co-produced the disc with Dusty Wakeman, who also plays bass. Delivering an unmistakable ’50s feel, Land Of Opportunity also plants a boot firmly in the ’90s with its creative syntax and unpredictable guitar work. Rymes and Weeks, who share vocal and guitar duties, write songs that are simultaneously simple and brilliant. “Tons of Shame” fits tons of words into small spaces with the elegance of a woodworker mitering a corner, and the eerie electric solo is fresh as it gets. “Lingering Thing” is a danceable pop corker about a guy who has a crush he’s waited so long to act upon that she’s gone off and found someone else. It’s another case of impeccably wedged wordplay, this time dropped on top of an intoxicating beat.
There are some great slow tunes on the disc, such as Rymes’ “The Truth About You”, which he delivers with a delicious drawl, but the standouts are the rockers, including “Fine Way To Treat Me” and a killer rendition of “Tobacco Road”. Most of the songs are in the 2-1/2 to 3-minute range; the 10 tunes clock in at just under 31 minutes — a short record, but no less sweet for it.