Reckless Kelly was one of the first Texas alt-country bands I became familiar with. The late band Blind Luck opened for them at the late live music venue The Fabulous Satellite Lounge and I enjoyed their music. Unfortunately, so does half of Houston and I've not been inclined to go see all that many of their live music shows because of the large crowds that they attract. That said, I've enjoyed their CDs and their unique mixture of Americana and country with their inventive lyrics and distinct lead singer, Willy Braun.

I finally got around to buying their new CD, Under the Table & Above the Sun, about a month ago with a handful of others (Roger Creager's "Long Way to Mexico," both of Thrift Store Cowboys' CD's, Alejandro Escoveda's "Man Under the Influence," and Max Stallings's "One of the Ways"). Dr. Whited has been chroncling some of the changes in the band over the last year or two and a change in sound, so I wasn't sure what, if anything, to expect from it.

However, I can joyfully report that it has floated to the top of my recent CD purchases and may well be the best new CD I bought this year.

I wasn't quite this impressed with it the first time I played it through. There seemed to be some good ones, but a lot of filler. Besides that, their sound has changed quite a bit. It took me a few listens to realize how different the sound was independent of the different lyrics.

RK's specialty has been broken-up-and-pissed-off songs. In fact, when I've been broken-up-and-pissed-off in the past, RK has been the first place that I've turned. There isn't so much of that in "Under the Table & Above the Sun" and it's been replaced by something a little more complicated. A little more, I think, grown up.

Two songs that jumped into mind after listening to the CD were Paul Young's classic "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" and Roger Creager's "Fun All Wrong." There's a certain feeling of killing time, avoidance, and uncertainty. Though the UtT&AtS track "Set Me Free" and "You Don't Want Me Around" were not my favorite tracks off the CD, they sum up the CD pretty nicely. It is, in a way, coming to terms with a loss and wanting to move forward without a clear idea of what moving forward actually means.

Maybe I enjoyed this CD so much because I could relate. Part of it, though, is that I can sum up the CD. Too many CDs are released these days that are just a collection of disparate tracks. There's not a feeling that the CD actually captures a particular time or story. I'm not suggesting that CDs should be a collection of redundant songs or that it should be chronological songs telling a story (UtT&AtS is neither), but rather when I look at a CD the CD should give me something to reflect on independent of the individual songs. That's what this CD does in such a way that I have not experienced since Great Divide's "Remain."

That's not to say that the individual tracks are not worth listening to. In fact, tracks 3-6 are the best four-punch I have heard from a CD in a long, long time. I can (and have) listened to these four songs in repetition over and over again. Desolation Angels (#3) really sets the pace for the entire CD in my view. It's roadworthy music worthy of Bleu Edmondson or Cross Canadian Ragweed (all princes of roadworthy music) with a uniquely weighted feel. Everybody (#4) is probably the most radio-friendly song on the record, but there is a hypnotic quality. The sincerity in Braun's voice and the band's sound carries otherwise lackluster lyrics into being a song I've had stuck in my head for hours a time without getting tired of it. I Saw It Coming (#5) is a giant metaphor for gambling and the relationship process that is executed admirably. Vancouver (#6) is probably the best song on the CD and one of the best songs I've heard in a while. It's one one of those rare songs that memorably carries itself without a refrain.

The CD is not without its faults, however, and it's not for everyone. Die-hard Reckless Kelly fans may miss the old sound more than they appreciate the new. My review may be as glowing as it is because I wasn't quite as attached as others have been to the traditional RK. The new CD is considerably less raw and more polished. Considering RK's grumbly and intrinsically raw sound, a lot has been lost and changed in the translation. If I approached this purely as a Reckless Kelly CD (or, for that matter, if I hadn't already been warned that it'd be different), I might have been disappointed.

The biggest fault of the CD ties in with its mildly more radio-friendly sound: the repetition of lyrics. Otherwise really good songs like Willamina (#7) are diminished by the repetition of the refrain four times going. It makes the songs more memorable but, at least for me, it makes them a lot less enjoyable. That said, for a more radio-friendly sound, I don't often actually hear stuff this good on the radio itself.