Less overtly retro than Staying Up Late,
Beat Rodeo's second album, produced by Scott Litt (
R.E.M., etc.) rocked a little harder and at the same time, with the addition of keyboards (plus guest sax by
Lenny Pickett and guest vocals by
Syd Straw), was somewhat smoother as well. More important,
Steve Almaas's songs were more substantial--musically more ambitious, lyrically more personal and direct.
Beat Rodeo still didn't catch on, but
Home In The Heart Of The Beat demonstrated that they were a band with potential. ~ William Ruhlmann