Truck drivin’ music has seen a semi-renaissance in recent years with Diesel Only’s wonderful Rig Rock trilogy and Dale Watson’s The Truckin’ Sessions. The Sovines, straight out of Columbus, Ohio, are another fine crew of gear-jammin’ enthusiasts, named in honor of one of the kings of big-rig twang, Red Sovine.
The focus here is cowpunk, but the Sovines avoid the too-damn-silly syndrome of many bands that go for a similar sound. Such acts can be a hoot to hear live, followed by a what-the-hell-was-I-thinking-was-I-that-drunk-when-I-bought-this-CD-after-the-show experience at home. The Sovines avoid that fate on songs such as “Stuck On Planet Earth”, “OWN/OPR”, and “24-7-365 (Long Distance Man)”.
Truckers Welcome is not all cows and trucks and punk. “Bitter Root” and “A Fugitive’s Plea” are bluesy bar-band rock, and “Drinks After Church”, with guitarist Matt Benz’s pretty mandolin pickin’, sounds like something, fittinglye enough, that the Drive-By Truckers might do.
The Sovines ultimately succeed with a sense of humor and heart. They’re not making fun of what they’re singing about — but they do sound like they’re having one hell of a good time.