Ox

tUCo is not actually a movie and tUCo ― Original Soundtrack by Ox is not actually a soundtrack, but these facts don't detract from the cinematic feel of Ox's fifth studio effort. This collection of songs evokes a time that has gone by and the album is lush with themes of nostalgia and the open road. Between tender songs such as "Share Gas Drive West" and tracks that motor forward in a textbook blues direction ("Midnight on the Island") are small instrumental tangents that lend themselves favourably to the soundtrack aesthetic. The record starts and ends on two especially strong points. Opening track "Out on the Weekend" (a Neil Young cover) is well done, right down to the vocal performance by Mark Browning that does indeed channel Young. The closing track, "Battlefields," is a beautifully rendered pop-country duet and a particularly nice ending note to tUCo, which is nothing short of a pleasurable listen.