Tailgate,
Trailer Choir's
Toby Keith-produced debut, was a long time coming. Its first single, "Off the Hillbilly Hook" (the album's final track) was issued way back in 2008. It was followed by "In My Next 5 Beers," "Rollin' Through the Sunshine," and the infamous "Rockin' the Beer Gut," that were issued as previews in 2009. Apparently Show Dog, the band's label, and its distribution company, Universal Music, weren't taking any chances.
Trailer Choir are Crystal, chief songwriter Butter, and Big Vinny. The band wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on
Tailgate; all three are vocalists who really can sing (think a more working class version of
Rascal Flatts). The ten songs are full of hooky, sing along choruses in a big rock guitar brand of contemporary country. The best cuts on the set are "In My Next 5 Beers," with its hints of 1970s mid-Texas songwriting (think
Jerry Jeff Walker coming of age in the 21st century country music biz), "Rollin' Through the Sunshine (Summer Mix)," and the raucous "Last Man Standing," which was produced by Butter and
Mills Logan. The album goes by in a blur at just over half an hour (and doesn't need to be a second longer), as one solidly placed party anthem after another. The trio is backed by a crack Nash-Vegas studio band and
Keith's production. As in-your-face slick as it is,
Tailgate also contains a live sounding presence for a studio record. Look for this one to get lots of play in honky tonks and on the radio. ~ Thom Jurek