McKay Brothers,
Cold Beer & Hot Tamales



Label: Medina River Records

(4 out of 5)

The McKay Brothers seemed poised to break out of their Hill Country comfort zone this time last year. In May 2005, the New York Times profiled Noel and Hollin McKay in its Sunday Style magazine, colorfully proclaiming the brothers' "authenticity … as welcome as a drive down a lonely road in a dusty pickup." The article also promoted the "soon-to-be-released" second album, produced by Lloyd Maines (Gurf Morlix produced their 2003 debut).

Seeking to build on the momentum and hoping to bypass another self-release, the McKay Brothers shopped their new record around for a while. Now a year later, it's finally available on the brothers' own Medina River Records.

Pity the labels that passed on Cold Beer & Hot Tamales.

Even on first listening, it just feels right. Like that pair of tattered yet perfect jeans stashed away for rainy days, Cold Beer & Hot Tamales is comfortable and familiar, yet unique and irreplaceable.

Of course, if you've seen the McKay Brothers play in the last couple years, chances are you've heard most of the songs already. But even if not, with influences like Guy Clark, Doug Sahm, and Terry Allen, you'll likely recognize their place in the timeless Texas songwriter continuum.

The McKay Brothers specialize in depicting down-and-out country folk, like the hapless criminal of "Making License Plates" (listen), the trashy ex-couple of "Bandera Style (Whiskey, Smoke and Beer)" (listen), or the cuckold-to-be regretting his wife's surgical enhancements in "Silicone Baby" (listen).

The humor pervading such tales doesn't mock the characters (not even the drunkard in "Bottle of Fire" [listen] — and it's hard not to mock a lawn mower–riding lush modeled on George Jones); instead, the lyrics gently commmiserate with the luckless while implying that such is the variety of life in rural communities.

There's more to Cold Beer & Hot Tamales than wry comedy. There's the spiritual comfort of "Seventh Day" (listen) and "Spirit Bird" (listen), the conservationist plea of "The Disappearing Texas" (listen), and the good ol' rockabilly thunder of "Lock and Key" (listen).

The brothers split vocal duties, but with their near-perfect close harmonies it doesn't much matter who's on lead. Instrumentally, it's Noel on guitar, Hollin on bass, and Mark Patterson on drums, plus guests including Corby Schaub on mandolin, Joel Guzman on accordion, and of course Maines on pedal steel.

Cold Beer & Hot Tamales is an authentic slice of Hill Countryana as welcome in these summer months as the grub that inspired the title.

Reviewed by Patrick Nichols (email)
June 18, 2006