Randy Rogers Band,
Rollercoaster

Label: Smith Music Group
Year: 2004

(5 out of 5)

With a voice that's part Steve Earle, part Jay Farrar, Randy Rogers just can't help but to grab your attention. And on Rollercoaster, once he grabs hold, he and the Randy Rogers Band don't let go until the 51-minute ride is over.

With the help of songwriting friends Cody Canada, Wade Bowen, and Radney Foster (who also produced the album), Randy Rogers and company craft an intricate story arc on the album's first half.

Beginning with "Down and Out" and continuing into "Somebody Take Me Home," we glimpse our heartbroken protagonist at his wits' end: Out of this bar, out of this heartache / Out of this world, I just keep breaking down / I keep breaking down.

A chance at reconciliation follows in "This Time Around," and we see the magnetism that continually attracts him to his mercurial lover in the beautiful "Love Must Follow You Around."

But in "Lay It All on You" our protagonist makes it clear that it's not up to him to keep the flame alive: I never know if you're gonna leave / I say it's the last time, just like I always do / I give you another chance and I lay it all on you.

The Texas Music Chart-climbing "Tonight's Not the Night (For Goodbye)" draws the arc to a close…for now: This is your love song baby…Sometimes it's not easy / Sometimes love can scare you half to death / But I'll give it my best / Yeah we'll find a way to make it.

The second half of the album isn't quite as strong as the first, but that's a tough act to follow.

There's a version of "Again" that is superior to Cross Canadian Ragweed's attempt earlier this year on Soul Gravy. And strengthening the echoes of Steve Earle, the band decries central Texas sprawl on Kent Finlay's "They Call It the Hill Country."

The closing track, the acoustic "I Miss You with Me," serves as a postscript to the opening story arc. It's months since we last glimpsed our tempestuous lovers, and unsurprisingly they are together no more: I know we had our fights / But nothing since has felt that right / I live my life from day to day / If I don't think too much everything's OK.

But a live bonus track of "Like It Used to Be" from the band's previous album hints at yet another reconciliation: We'll shoot the lights out / So no one else can see / Yeah we'll close our eyes / And wish it was like it used to be.

From beginning to end, the Randy Rogers Band delivers a powerful set that's sure to continue the San Marcos group's rapid ascent in the Texas Music community. The songwriting is crisp. The vocals are raspy yet moving. The instrumentation is consistently driving throughout. Everything works.

Rollercoaster is quite simply the best Texas Music release of the year thus far. Period.

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon

September 30, 2004