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MINI REVIEW: LOS LONELY BOYS "LOS LONELY BOYS" (SPECIAL EDITION)

Artist: Los Lonely Boys
Album Title: Los Lonely Boys (Special Edition)
Genre: Rock/Blues/Latino
2004
Epic Records

When did I buy it?: I received it as a gift from my grandparents during Christmas 2004.

Why did I buy it?: I bought the first edition in July 2004 after discovering their big hit "Heaven." I had a gift card to spend at Circuit City and wanted a fun, upbeat summer album. After listening to samples online, I picked Los Lonely Boys. I put the special edition (with three new tracks and a bonus DVD) on my Christmas list because I wanted the new extras, especially bonus track "I Walk The Line."

What are the best songs?: This album is jam packed with screaming blues rockers reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix. Los Lonely Boys don't really break new ground on their debut, but they still deliver a fun, energetic set of original tunes.

Album-opener "Senorita" is a good example of their "Texican" rock and roll style combining blazing Stratocaster guitar riffs and thundering bass lines with Latin-influenced touches. On many of their songs, the Boys sing in both English and Spanish. Their breakthrough single "Heaven" is a good, catchy prayer/ballad/song with smoking guitar riffs by lead guitarist Henry Garza. His influences shine strong in his playing, and he's a good player even if he doesn't yet have his own style.

"Hollywood" is a beautiful, upbeat acoustic ballad. Henry mixes it up a bit by playing Spanish-style acoustic guitar instead of his usual Fender. It's a catchy tune and shows off Henry's fast picking. "Nobody Else" is another ballad, and stands out due to the use of organ and the splendid harmonies of the Garza brothers. They really do sing well together, and the best songs on this album are the songs where they harmonize well.

"Onda" is a good showcase for the Boys' instrumental chops, especially Henry's amazing Santana-influenced guitar playing abilities. Especially notable, aside from the guitar, is drummer Ringo Garza and his loud, pounding shimmering playing.

"Real Emotions" and "Tell Me Why" are two good blues-based rockers with powerful vocals. "Real Emotions" is another showcase of Henry's influence from Carlos Santana. It sounds a lot like Santana's big hit "Smooth" with Rob Thomas, but is different enough to avoid plagarism. "Velvet Sky" is one of the more beautiful songs on the album and features the soaring harmonies of all three brothers. It's definitely one of the vocal highlights of the entire album.

Of the three bonus tracks, "I Walk The Line" is the standout. It was featured on a Sony commercial in 2004 (that commercial really should have been included on the bonus DVD!) It pays tribute to Johnny Cash's original but takes a new, faster, guitar-based direction.

Any bad stuff?: "More Than Love" is the second single off the album, and I absolutely hate it. Unlike the better "Nobody Else," it's a mediocre, uninspiring ballad. It doesn't feature any good solos, nor are the harmonies particuarly interesting. On another band's album it may be a standout, but in the face of better songs it just sinks and drowns.

"La Contestacion" is another ballad, done acoustically, and although beautiful it doesn't really stand out. Also, it's a rather flat way to end the album (at least the original version of the album). I'm sensing that these lonely boys are much better at rock and roll than they are at singing ballads.

The bonus track Spanish versions of "Heaven" and "More Than Love" are interesting, but not particularly essential. The Spanish "More Than Love" might be slightly more beautiful than its English version, simply because it's in Spanish.

The lyrics on this album are sometimes good, but not at all great. The songs are filled with cliches and aren't very poetic. Songwriting is not this band's strength, but perhaps they'll improve on future albums. Lyrically, the best song is "Heaven" with its simplicity, emotion and honesty.

The liner notes could use a lot more work. They weren't changed one bit for the special edition. Especially helpful would be a song-by-song list of who is playing and singing. At first I assumed that Henry did all the singing, but bassist Jojo sings lead on some of the songs. The two brothers' voices are so similar that I cannot often tell them apart.

My last complaint about the album is that the DVD contains not one, but three video versions of "More Than Love." If I liked the song, this would be a good thing. I obviously do not like it, so it's overkill. The "I Walk The Line" Sony commercial should definitely have been included (and probably was not due, I'm guessing, to legal issues).

Overall thoughts: Wow, I really sound like I hate this album! I actually like the album a lot. I'm a huge fan of Hendrix and Vaughan-style electric guitar, so Henry's similar style is very welcome. Jojo Garza is a fine bass player too, and has a great energy when the band plays live. The lyrics of the songs may be average, but the harmonies and music are really something special. These brothers have been playing together for years and it shows. Their close harmonies are what put this album a cut above many others in the blues rock genre. Also refreshing is the combination of Spanish and English lyrics, as well as the occasional Latin percussion.

The Los Lonely Boys are just starting their professional career, and their debut album is a great first step. They may stick very close to their influences on this one, but with time they'll probably gain confidence and start to experiment a little. In the meantime, this is an exciting, varied collection of mostly original songs with interesting harmonies and simply excellent guitar playing. Definitely a good listen for any Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana or Hendrix fan.

Album Score: 4 out of 5