Diamonds and Gasoline in Bloomington, MN

Hailing from Oklahoma,
the Turnpike Troubadours
have their home state deep in their blood: their music is earthy, natural, and unpretentious, which doesn't mean that their second album,
Diamonds & Gasoline
, is artless. While there's no mistaking that the bandmembers cut their teeth in dancehalls and roadhouses, there's also little question that the group, led by singer
Evan Felker
, also draws deeply from the well of Americana storytelling, often recalling
Steve Earle
and
Bruce Springsteen
, only whittled down to their essence. There are no spare words in
' best songs but that doesn't make them any less evocative:
Felker
has a knack for ferreting out the details in small-town life and how love goes wrong, particularly on the terrific opening pair of
"7&7"
"Every Girl."
There may be an undercurrent of melancholy that surfaces occasionally, particularly on the title track, but
is music that's full-blooded and alive, so it's hard to call this sad: it's joyous, expertly capturing the ebbs and flows of ordinary life. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine