Stay Poor, Stay Happy

Cub Country has the rare quality of being a band whose name actually conjures up the type of music it plays. While Jeremy Chatelain gained a rep in alternative rock circles playing with Handsome and Jets to Brazil, he takes Cub Country in an alternative country direction. He's joined by bassist Matt Sumrow, guitarist Jeff Clarke, and drummer Justin Ansley. Chatelain's a good singer, and the prominence of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and lap steel gives the band an attractive, mellow sound for most of Stay Poor/Stay Happy. Unfortunately, good arrangements and good vocals don't keep the songs from getting a bit tired before they've run their course. Part of the problem is a lack of tunefulness, but the bigger problem revolves around the average running time of five minutes. "Good Job Jer Blues" starts out pleasantly enough and is even enjoyable for the first three minutes, but will probably have the listener's mind wandering for the last three. Stones-style electric guitar (think Sticky Fingers) offers a bit of a jump-start on "Missed the Train," but the Stones knew that every rock song couldn't withstand the five-minute length. Fans of the group's previous album, High Uinta High, and Chatelain's songwriting and vocals, will nonetheless find a number of pleasurable moments on Stay Poor/Stay Happy. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., Rovi