As
The Waco Brothers
mature into a real band rather than just another of
Jon Langford
's many side projects,
Dean Schlabowske
and
Tracy Dear
have tried to carry a greater amount of the songwriting weight, and their sound has taken on a more individual personality, rather than the "
Mekons
-with-a-twang-and-faster-tempos" sound of their debut. This didn't work out so well on 1999's
Waco World
, a somewhat muddled set that lacked the fire and focus of the group's best work, but
Electric Waco Chair
finds
the Wacos
firmly back on track;
Schlabowske
Dear
are learning to deliver material just as strong as
Langford
's always top-shelf work (especially
"Jamaican Radio Obituary"
"Fox River"
), and the band sounds tighter, stronger, and more expressive than ever before (the three live cuts also testify to
undeniable strength on stage). If
offers a bit less pure fury than
the Waco Brothers
' high-water mark,
Cowboy in Flames
, from a musical standpoint it finds this band sounding better than ever before, and their rabble-rousing anger is still very much in evidence if you're looking for it;
are one of the very best bands to emerge from the alt-country scene, and this album proves they're only getting better with time. ~ Mark Deming