Lucero returns with more of what makes Lucero great. Honest, heartfelt lyrics bedded in whiskey soaked guitar licks with Ben Nichols signature rasp. The band doesn’t do anything here they’ve never done before but they are doing it as good as they ever have as well.

“Among The Ghosts” feels a little more stripped down than their excellent last album “All A Man Should Do” and even though Rick Steff is an essential part of the band at this point, the piano/organ/accordion parts feel less featured than on recent records. Steff is still the glue that puts Lucero in the upper echelon of bands. Guitarist Brian Venable also shines through too, his licks have always been the backbone of the band and it rings through clear on tracks like the excellent “Bottom of the Sea.” The perfect Nichols penned tune “Everything Has Changed” shows how great of wordsmith he is and really has always been. His scratchy vocals echo through “Cover Me” as the song sounds like a sequel to “Can’t You Hear Them Howl” off their last record. The sentimentality of “Loving” is undeniable as the longtime concert staple finally gets inducted into the Lucero songbook. The eeriness of “Long Way Back Home” provides a great mood change for the record and shows the versatility of the band.

Lucero is as consistent as bands get, they might not win over many new fans with this latest record but they are without a doubt as good as they have ever been here, the fans just need to find them.

Key Tracks: “Cover Me” “Bottom of the Sea” “Loving”