Micky & The Motorcars
Album: Across The Pond - Live In Germany
Label: Blue Rose
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.mickyandthemotorcars.com

Headed up by Micky and Gary Braun, brothers of Willy and Cody from Reckless Kelly (whose 'Nobody's Girl' is covered here), the band mines a similar vein of Texamericana, something clearly appreciated by audiences from homestate Texas to Germany. It was in the latter that this live album was recorded, taken from 2013 shows at Heilbronn and Stuttgart, the selection carefully avoiding songs already featured on their previous live set. As such, nine numbers are new to live recordings and four were previews from their then as yet unreleased studio set, 'Hearts From Above'.

The show opens with 'Any Longer Anymore', from 'Raise a Glass', immediately establishing the live drive and energy with its ringing guitars, tumbling chords and Micky's Texan twang vocals. The honky tonk country mid-tempo swagger 'Southbound Street' is the first of the 'Hearts From Above' numbers, joined by the alt-country rocker 'Fall Apart', a cover of Alejandro Escovedo and Chuck Prophet's 'Sister Lost Soul' and the standout 'Tonight We Ride' a riff propelled, self-affirming slice of anthemic country rock with the fire of vintage Bob Seger.

Earlier albums are mined for Kip Attaway's drawled rocker 'Rock Springs To Cheyenne', 'Big Casino' (sung by Gary, who co-wrote it with Willy), the more mellow rolling 'Raise My Glass', goodtime swing 'The Band Song', off their 2003 debut, with its jazzy guitar fills, the moody prowling 'St Lucy's Eyes' and, finally, guitars whipping up a storm, the urgent, rowdy 'Bloodshot' from 2008's 'Naive', one of only three numbers duplicated from 'Live At Billy Bob's'. They don't push any envelopes or break new ground, but in terms of textbook Texas country rock you could do fare worse.

Mike Davies