Ass Ponys

There is a place where the boundaries of categorisation melt away to reveal a perfect reflection of current, vital music seeped with loving respect for tradition. The Ass Ponys ride that range with the likes of Alexandro Escovedo, Richard Buckner, Wilco and Los Lobos who despite all attempts to confine them with genres, stake their claim on modern Americana. A tradition born with the likes of Woody Guthrie to become the definition of the evolving character of a nation, music that moved out of the country and into the city to stare at the bright lights and empty promises. With a playful nod to "20th Century Boy" in "X-tra Nipple" to the stadium-worthy choruses of "Sidewinder" and J"aspers Coming Home," the 12 songs featured here tip a lot of hats without sacrificing a cohesive musical direction. Chuck Cleaver's singing evokes a Dave Thomas/Adam Durwitz hybrid without the pretension of one and the preciousness of the other. This is poetic storytelling at its best, a tasteful and beautiful release that rocks with the best of them Crazy Allman Horses.