El Nino

Blending a style that falls through the cracks of pre-Stetson-hat country alongside a pinch of Tex-Mex, the Cruzeros leave enough on this album to keep the pointy toes of cowboy boots tapping for quite a while. Occasional ballads such as "Going There With Grace" and the honky tonk of "Tangled up in You" are convincing, but they truly don't do justice to songs like "Roses and a Cross" or the mandolin-driven "This Old Road." A few numbers in the album's core seem a bit wasted, ranging from bluegrass to beer-stained Americana, despite being from north of the border. The musicianship is another huge plus, the result of obviously many years on the road. A good album by an experienced barroom band.