Thousand Dollar Playboys

Having already taken control of the international reins of political punk-dom, Sweden's musical invasion next sets its rangefinders on the alt-country racket with the Thousand Dollar Playboys. However, the offensive would have benefited from a more convincing expeditionary force. Aesthetically, and at first musical blush, the quintet appears to be shooting for something along the lines of Uncle Tupelo. What they come up with is far more Van Morrison than anything else and ultimately that's not such a bad thing. The Playboys don't just stick to conventional twang conventions either. On "Lay You Down," for instance, the group combines boogie piano with a great big brass section and an order of hot, Southern rock guitar lickage. A similar recipe is applied to "As The Desperation Comes," which treads even closer towards Creedence Clearwater Revival's swampy territory. Still, after taking in the band's woefully sappy "A Very Special Christmas," listeners may wonder if the Playboys are merely constructing some sort of Rutles-like joke.