Summar

Hey kids, are y'all up for a twang fest? You'll get one with Trent Summar and the New Row Mob. Who are they you ask? At least I had that reaction. Trent Summar's biography on their web site says he grew up in rural Tennessee. You can visit his site for more information. However, I will mention his band members and producer of this album. They are Jared Shade Reynolds on bass and vocals, Philip Wallace on guitars, Kenny Vaughn on guitars and tic tac bass in the song, "New Money", Jerry Dale McFadden on keyboards and vocals in "I'm Country", Dave Kennedy on drums. R.S. Field assisted in percussions on this album and also produced it. He is a Grammy winner who has worked with Texas legends such as Billy Joe Shaver. Guitarist Kenny Vaughn has worked with Lucinda Williams, Kim Richey and other great artists. Philip Wallace comes from the Hank Flamingo band. Trent Summar recorded a previous album with the Hank Flamingo band that drew attention. Now he has put together a group of talented musicians to showcase his vocal talents and gritty style.

This self-titled album is basically country rockabilly with a couple of slower tracks in the mix. The New Row Mob is a tight band with a rockin' twangy sound and some true talent where music is concerned. Trent Summar wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on this disc. These Tennessee boys sound like they're a little misplaced geographically, but I'm not holding that against them. They have a definite angst-ridden attitude in their style that definitely falls in the Americana format (and mine), but it sounds a little more polished than the pure raw country we also hear in our kind of music.

In this writer's opinion, the highlights on this disc are as follows. The first track, "Paint your Name in Purple" is a fast rockabilly tune about a hot rod racer who wants to prove his love for his girl by painting her name in purple on the door of his cherry red big-block Dodge. I've always been partial to songs about fast cars, and this one didn't disappoint me. It sent me reminiscing about some of my good old days riding shotgun in a boyfriend's souped up Roadrunner. That car could kick anybody's ass in the three counties in the quarter mile drag. Oh, sorry! Anyway, it's a fun song.

"New Money" has good hook lines and is getting frequent airplay on local Americana stations here in the D/FW area. It has that Jerry Lee Lewis piano style going on and it's one of those tunes that makes you feel happy, probably because of its catchy beat and the story it tells of someone hitting it big in life.

"Too Busy Missing You" is one of those sad lyrical songs in which the emotions get lost in the upbeat tempo of the song. It's a blues story trapped in a rockabilly song. But I still like it for it's angst-ridden attitude and heart-breaking lyrics.

There are a couple of other songs on this CD that I really enjoyed. "Be So Blue" written and sang by Trent Summar, is a "nice" country blues tune with some great guitar work, great mixing and heavy back-up vocals. Not everyone will appreciate this song, but I do. And I like "Lookout Mountain" although I'm not sure quite why yet.

The two covers, "It Never Rains in Southern California" and "The Beat Don't Ever Stop" are both done well, but I liked the original stuff better. Although this band has seemed to establish their own style, there seems to be room for growth in the depth of their songs. But then, maybe the fact that their music is light-hearted is what's appealing about these boys. Their sound is their best asset, and I think they will draw some fans in the Americana genre as they progress. And they will progress. We will be hearing more from Trent Summar. It will be interesting to watch his career. And I'm betting these boys put on one helluva live show. If they come rockin here in North Texas, I am "SO THERE!" See ya' around, boys!

Happy Trails,

Miss Lana

Visit Trent Summar's Website at www.trentsummar.com