Mike and the Moonpies began peddling their old-fashioned Texas country back in 2010, working steadily around their native Austin for the better part of a decade. While the band has always been top-notch,
Steak Night at the Prairie Rose is where years of paying dues begins to pay off for
Mike and the Moonpies. At 37 minutes,
Steak Night at the Prairie Rose is every bit as tight as its predecessor,
Mockingbird, but where that 2015 album was lean and sinewy, this 2018 set is warm and broken-in. Such coziness is certainly down to the sextet deciding that they no longer have to rev up tempos and twang to create excitement. To be sure, there are frenetic moments here -- including the opening "Road Crew" (which brings to mind a Texas spin on
Jerry Reed), the shuffle "Might Be Wrong," and the lightly funky "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be" -- but they're surrounded by songs that shimmer like the setting desert sun. "Steak Night at the Prairie Rose" and "Beaches of Biloxi" split the difference between early-'80s
George Strait and '70s progressive country, highlighting how
Mike and the Moonpies don't simply regurgitate all the classic country they've learned; they've absorbed the music and synthesized it, creating a sound that's familiar, fresh, and enticing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine