Los Lonely Boys: "Sacred" brotherhood

Sacred
Los Lonely Boys
(Epic/Or/One Haven)

Having achieved success beyond all but their wildest dreams with the smash single from their self-titled 2004 debut album, the ubiquitous "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys are back, and they're on a mission. So it's fitting that their follow-up, "Sacred," begins with a mission statement, found in the opening track, "My Way":

Don't tell me how to live my life
Don't tell me how to pray
Don't tell me how to sing my song
Don't tell me what to say.

The little ol' band from San Angelo, Texas, isn't ready to be lumped in with Ol' Blue Eyes just yet, but doing it their way is working fine. There are a few more keys and horns rounding out the arrangements this time, but otherwise the formula is largely unchanged for the brothers Garza (Henry, guitar; JoJo, bass; Ringo, drums). There still are plenty of popping, guitar-driven Latin rhythms and three-part harmonies, a unique sound that gives the band a leg up in the marketplace.

Having a hit single has been the ruin of many a band. Los Lonely Boys faced the added pressure of having their honeyed harmonies and Tex-Mex tunes piped into seemingly every coffee shop and bookstore in America to boot. That's a long way from where they started, just about starving to death as their father's backing band. But they learned from those lean years. Rather than resting with success, they continued to tour relentlessly, honing their chops as the world eagerly awaited the follow-up. And they waited, and waited ... and waited. Their debut disc was re-released twice. There was a live album, a time-tested stopgap proven to stave off a hungry audience, at least for a while.

The wait was worth it.

On "Sacred," which was released on July 18, the Garzas rock with more conviction than ever, doing it, as one tune perfectly puts it, "Texican Style." That title sums up the band's sonic outlook as well: Funky beat, a little greasy harmonica and a melodic guitar solo that stings like Stevie Ray Vaughan channeling Albert King. Add some cool lines (and an SRV connection) from former Double Trouble organist Reese Wynans, who guests on the album, throw in the Texas Horns, and you've got a recipe for success.

One of the distinguishing features of "Sacred," the one that's most likely to give the band longevity, is Henry's emergence as a guitar hero. He certainly showed that potential on the debut disc, but he jumps out of the mix here fully formed as a monster player; part Stevie Ray, part Carlos Santana. Vaughan's sound in particular is all over "My Way," "Orale" and "Memories."

The Santana influence is most overt on "Oye Mamacita" and "I Never Met a Woman," which sound like they could be long-lost tracks from the Mexican jam-meister.

Henry Garza's rising star and Los Lonely Boys' aesthetic are also showcased to down-and-dirty effect on "Outlaws," which also features the brothers' father, Enrique Garza, and their patron Saint, Willie Nelson, who allowed them to record their debut at his Pedernales Studio. The cut has a slight aroma of cheese, with its name-dropping of Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, but that's easy to forgive because it flat-out cooks from Henry's "Voodoo Chile"-flavored intro to the similarly smoking outro.

Produced by John Porter (Ryan Adams, Keb' Mo'), "Sacred" doesn't seem to have a standout single like "Heaven," though "Diamonds" has a lot of potential. It would be more than a little unfair to expect them to duplicate that kind of success anyway.

What Los Lonely Boys have succeeded in doing is avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump, beefing up their brotherly border rock without giving in too much to the demands of their label and their mass-market popularity. "Sacred" shows that they hold their independence dear.

In other words, the Garzas did it their way.