Hailing from Kansas City but sounding more like mid-’60s Bakersfield, Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys in their second album conjure up music that fans of Junior Brown will instantly understand. Unlike vintage Bakersfield or revivalists working that side of the street, their sound has a distinct refinement and cohesion. Hobart puts on no airs vocally, and if he occasionally sounds too clean, he also avoids the dead end of evoking past legends. Tight writing is a constant and is as noticeable on a ballad like I’ll Forget Her or Die Crying” or ”The One & Lonely You” as on a novelty like ”Bridge Burners Union (Local 36)” or the tongue-in-cheek ”’Til My Teardrops Turn to Gold.” Few of Music Row’s faux honky-tonker throwaways capture heartbreak better than ”Barstow Barstool.” Instrumentally, the Misery Boys personify austerity with their no-frills arrangements, such as the one that adds still greater depth to the late-night emptiness of ”Let’s Keep Lying Here.” If simplicity is a virtue, Hobart and company have plenty going for them. –Rich Kienzle”