Westbound Sun (No Cents, 2005)
The Steve Tenpenny Band
Reviewed by Andy Turner
The disc doesn't exactly present anything startlingly fresh; Tenpenny succeeds with accessible, catchy songwriting, vocals that seem familiar (see above mentioned artists) but honest and a strong band and guest players behind him.
"Mexico" is a good example of Tenpenny's ability to make generic appealing It's a stereotypical ditty about gas station robbing lovers on the lam trying to make it south of the border. Of course, things end badly, but not before the would-be Clyde wearily groans out the final chorus to his would-be Bonnie. But, hell, songs about Mexico and robbing and dying in the street are always fun, Tenpenny does a good job of selling the song with his lazy drawl and guest mandolin player Vinnie Bean Garbonzo provides perfect picking. All that adds up to a pretty good time, which also sums up "Westbound Sun."
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