Roger Clyne certainly has matured as a songwriter since his days with the raucous bar band The Refreshments. His songs have gone from drinking warm beer in cantinas alongside senoritas to addressing the slow disappearance of his beloved Sonoran desert. On this album the songs have a definite purpose to them. Roger and Co. have shied away from the twang that was readily apparent throughout their first studio release “Honky Tonk Union”. Guitarist Scotty Johnson, formerly of the Gin Blossoms left the band shortly before the release of “Sonoran” but contributes greatly to the album. If you were to isolate John Mellencamp or Tom Petty on a ranch in the heart of the Arizona desert, you may encounter a similar type of sound that is generated by the Peacemakers.
The record begins with fireworks leading into the Latin-tinged rocking title track. In “Sonoran”, Roger expresses his concern for the state of his desert when he bellows, “A dusty place to kiss the ground, an empty place to cry out loud.” If you were to replace the Peacemakers with a mariachi band on this one, it may be hard to tell the difference.
“Colorblind Blues” opens by showcasing lead guitarist Steve Larson on a roaring lap steel guitar. Roger’s social consciousness shines through on this track by dealing with race relations (“the grips of the fear and the skin that keeps us apart, all the tears and the blood in my heart, know we cry and bleed the same”).
“Sleep Like a Baby” is a change of pace from the heavy guitars and plays like a lullaby with a nice combination of acoustic guitar and banjo. A well placed harmonica solo brings things together nicely.
“Ashes of San Miguel” is definitely the saddest song on the disc. While being the saddest, it may well be the best. Roger writes of riding around the dirt roads of Mexico with his best friend’s ashes in the passenger seat revisiting their old stomping grounds. This song was penned shortly after the death of Roger’s longtime best friend Michael O’Hara after a battle with cystic fibrosis. This track revisits the good times spent together and the regret of things he could have done (“If I could do it again I’d cry loud at your hospital bed”).
“Mile High and Risin’” is the album’s weakest track. The vocals are a little strained and the guitar riff is a bit repetitive.
“Bury My Heart” is another highlight. Here we get that vintage Roger Clyne tongue in cheek humor as he sings of his redneck beginnings with this country stomper.
The album drags on a bit with a somewhat unnecessary rendition of “Home on the Range”, though it does fit well with the theme of the album.
“Buffalo” is a very strong track and is the highlight of the album alongside “Ashes”. The song is written from the perspective of a Native American watching his homeland being overrun by industry and settlement (“Won’t trade my pony for the iron rail, no freeway stack for the game trail”). It also expresses a longing to do away with the things we have become slaves to in everyday life and just get back to the basics of living.
“Smaller and Better Things” rides along that same theme of getting back to basics in life. This tune is a solid rocker except for the cheesy “woohoos” that appear periodically throughout the song.
“Ballad of Lupe Montosa” brings Roger’s storytelling abilities to the forefront in this acoustic waltz. Some nice harmonies have been added to the chorus which really completes the track.
“Better Beautiful than Perfect” also has a Latin flavor to it much like the title track. This song tells of seeing the good things in life through the bad (“Life is grand, love is real, beauty is everywhere”). It sounds a bit cliché, but fitting nonetheless.
Make no mistake; this project is a total band effort though all the songs are penned by Clyne. This record is a solid effort from the Arizona foursome.
Check out Roger Clyne's website at http://www.azpeacemakers.com/.
- David Birk
