Search - Trent Summar & New Row Mob :: Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (Dig)

Real country music

James L. Bumbalo | 11/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album isn't quite up to the standards of "Trent Summar and the New Row Mob" (2000) or "Hank Flamingo" (1994, his best CD), but it's far better than virtually all of the so-called country put out today. It's mostly rip-roarin', barn-burnin', rockin' country, with a twang and a noticeable Southern accent (and how many of today's pseudo-country singers even have a Southern accent?). The best hillbilly tunes are "Hayride" and "Louisiana Nashville Line," and Trent's version of "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is interesting, to say the least. If you like real country music, you'll like this CD."

The Real Deal

Vickie Gill | California | 10/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this CD -- Trent Summar is known for his high energy, maximum fun concerts, and I defy anyone to stay seated after turning up the volume on these songs. Trent's version of "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is hilarious--a salute to the old as well as the new. My favorites are Trent's "Love You" (which has climbed the charts for Jack Ingram) and "Guys Like Me". This is a man who truly loves country music and it shows. His band, The New Row Mob, does him proud--these are trained professionals, so sit back and enjoy."

He's got the goods

criticspeak | Austin | 11/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
Trent Summar's got just the right Tennessee-born drawl for the songs that populate "Horseshoes & Hand Grenades." He's also got the mix of self-deprecating humor and emotional depth necessary to elevate country songs with common themes into uncommonly well-told, clever stories with lines like "If you haven't gained or lost at least 20 pounds ... then you really never loved her anyway."



Though a Music Row wag dubbed him "the King of Redneck Rock," there are elements of Eagles-style California country (in "Supposed to Do," a rare ballad that showcases his vocal abilities) and even ska - colliding with Hank Williams III, that is - on the runaway chorus to his otherwise sweet `n' schmaltzy treatment of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today." But it's no accident that Southern boys Dan Baird, the former Georgia Satellites frontman, and Michael "Supe" Granda, of Ozark Mountain Daredevils fame, are among the album's main contributors (Brooks & Dunn steel guitar player Gary Morse is also featured; ex-Maverick Raul Malo also takes a vocal turn on "Guys Like Me"). Their honky-tonk-flavored instrumentation is threaded adroitly throughout. Summar also shares a dancehall kinship with Gary Allan and Jack Ingram, who recorded "Guys Like Me" and the Summar/Jay Knowles co-written "Love You," respectively. And "She Knows What to Do (With a Saturday Night)," previously recorded by Billy Currington, would be perfect for roadhouse rocker Delbert McClinton. (Perhaps not coincidentally, it was co-written by McClinton's frequent collaborator, Gary Nicholson.)



Summar's knack for smile-inducing wordplay is formidable, but it's the mix of resignation and wistfulness in lines like "I'd like to find a place ... where you can land your dreams on solid ground" (in "Guys Like Me," co-written with Kostas) that convey how well he's honed his songwriting skills. With this album, he should have a few hits of his own.

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