I love alt-country records like this. If truth be told, country music in general leaves me cold more often than not, especially in the last fifteen years or so as the genre has become more about hard-rockin' than about the genre's original folk and blues roots. So it's always a thrill to find a group like the Lonesome Brothers, who rely on deft instrumental playing, comfortable singing, and clever lyrics to get their point across. And they're fairly close to my neck of the woods: the Lonesome Brothers hail from Western Massachusetts. You don't need to be in Texas to hear good country music.

The Lonesome Brothers are Jim Armenti on guitar, Ray Mason on bass, and Tom Shea on drums, harmonica and mandolin (with several additional musicians). Armenti and Mason alternate on the lead vocals on the songs, although the CD's booklet copy doesn't list who sings which song, so I can't refer to the specific singers of each song. (In fact, the CD booklet copy is really pretty disappointing: only the tray insert lists the songs, and no other information is given other than the names of the musicians. There are no indications of which performers are featured on each song, and for a band whose songs feature fairly deft wordplay, lyrics would have been a nice touch.)

The songs on this album alternate in mood between humor and sadness in a way that is very impressive, and the songs are performed with such sincerity that one can't help but think that these men are singing, in their own way, of their own experiences. The dark humor of "Frozen George" is infectious, and "If I Had No Shoes" is another standout -- but for me, the best song here is "Church of Nicotine," a sad song about exchanging one drug for another.

Fences is a fairly impressive album by a band that might elude many listeners. That would be a shame. If you appreciate listenable music that is about something, this album is for you.