Shinebox

Album Review

Modern country radio has, at times, been described as a refuge for disenchanted rockers who don't care for the post-Nevermind alternative rock of the '90s and 2000s; the alternative country/No Depression field, meanwhile, has been described as a refuge for country fans who don't care for the music on modern country radio. Some nu-country converts insist that they turned to Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain because alternative rock isn't hooky enough (an unfair generalization, certainly), and many alt-country/No Depression converts will tell you they listen to the Blood Oranges because Hill, Twain, and similar artists are too slick and contrived. But no one can accuse Come & Go's Shinebox of being either too slick or not hooky enough; this country-influenced roots rock band has hooks galore, and the group's songs aren't ultra-slick. Actually, their material is enjoyably organic; drawing on Southern influences that range from the Allman Brothers to the Black Crowes, Come & Go bring a lot of heart to infectious tracks like "Love Saves the World," "California Skies," and "Singing Alone." Although based in Los Angeles, Come & Go leaders Shannon Hudson (lead vocals) and his brother Shane Hudson (guitar) previously lived in Texas and the Midwest — and that down-home feeling of America's heartland is all over this 2005 release. But the Hudson brothers don't go out of their way to embrace the hell-raisin' good ol' boy stereotypes that have characterized Southern rockers ranging from Molly Hatchet and Lynyrd Skynyrd in the '70s to Alabama Thunder Pussy in the '90s and 2000s — their approach is a lot of more introspective. Shinebox, which is Come & Go's fifth album and their first for the Irving, TX-based Purify label, isn't groundbreaking, but it's an enjoyable, well-crafted effort that roots rock enthusiasts should be aware of.