Lucero follows up their 2012 release Women & Work with a small EP containing a couple b-side sounding songs and one stone cold classic. The Texas & Tennessee EP was released quietly earlier in 2013 without a ton of fanfare as it was a bit of an exclusive release but it has one song that is likely one of the best of their career.

The title track, “Texas & Tennessee” belongs on every Lucero setlist as long as the band is together. With classic lyrics like the one-liner “you don’t have to tell me what it’s like not to be in love” it will hit you hard and stick with you. Of course Ben Nichols’ raspy vocal delivery is the key to the song as always. It feels so true that you feel like you’ve lived it yourself, even if you haven’t. The other tracks like the slow and surprisingly gentle “Union Pacific Line” are nice additions but feel like they are where they belong, on a non-essential release. The acoustic down-home romp of “The Other Side of Lonesome” is good tune as well. The very jazzy “Breathless Love” feels like the band extending their horn sound from Women & Work and maybe adding a bit too much.

The EP is well worth the purchase for the song “Texas & Tennessee” and you get a couple extra goodies with it. You could easily just download the one song digitally too; you’ll need it for that Lucero Greatest Hits CD you are making for your car.

Key Tracks: “Texas & Tennessee” “The Other Side of Lonesome”