Search - Derailers :: Soldiers of Love (Dig)

With a twang and a jangle, the Derailers conjure an era of vintage Top 40, when country, soul, rave-up rockabilly, and catchy pop could all be heard on the same AM station. Though Buck Owens remains a seminal influence on the Derailers, the departure of Tony Villaneuva--who founded and fronted the band with Brian Hofeldt--has pushed Hofeldt's pop-rock instincts to the fore. He has recruited a crucial collaborator in producer Buzz Cason, who shares songwriting credit on more than half the material here. The veteran Cason's "Soldier of Love" title cut was an early 1960s hit for Arthur Alexander and was later covered by the Beatles on Live at the BBC, whose inspiration the Derailers channel here. The opening "Cold Beer, Hot Women, and Cool Country Music" and closing "It's Never Too Late for a Party" could have appeared on any Derailers album, as could the Johnny Cash tribute "An American Man" and the instrumental "Poppycock." But the balladry of "The One Before Me," the bittersweet "Every Time It Rains," and the falsetto- and harmony-laden "Everything I Believe In" find the band extending its range. While the variety of styles has Hofeldt sounding like a vocal chameleon, the musical vitality suggests that the band has found new life. --Don McLeese