1372 Overton Park

Lucero’s sixth full-length features more of the tough, hard-driving barroom rock they have delivered for nearly a decade. What they do is not unique — early Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band, the Replacements, the Black Crowes, and the Hold Steady are good comparisons — but they do it extremely well. This is their first release for a major label yet they’ve lost none of their edge or passion during the transition, so longtime fans can rest easy. One notable change is the introduction of horns, which give rockers like “Sounds of the City,” “Sixes and Sevens,” and “The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo” added punch and texture. The best tunes (“Smoke,” “What Are You Willing to Lose,” “Can’t Feel a Thing,” “Johnny Davis”) combine powerful guitar riffs and keyboards with sharp lyrics about beautiful losers, tough luck kids, and doomed love, all delivered by the soulful, scratchy vocals of singer Ben Nichols. Those looking for smart, fist-pumping, no frills rock ‘n’ roll would do well to visit 1372 Overton Park.