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- Summary: Lloyd Maines produced the Texan country trio's first album in five years.
- Record Label: New West
- Genre(s): Country
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 8
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Mixed: 3 out of 8
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Negative: 0 out of 8
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Hills and Valleys rides a line the Southern Pacific Railroad would envy. Writing together where previously each songsmith mostly submitted his own material, Gilmore/Ely/Hancock's first six salvos here are their best run yet.
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The primarily acoustic Hills and Valleys, produced by Lloyd Maines, is the Flatlanders' third and strongest album since reuniting in 1998 for "The Horse Whisperer" soundtrack.
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UncutThis stellar set is anchored by existential bar-band thumper 'Just About Time' and 'homeland Refugees.' [May 2009, p.86]
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The threesome is best when trading verses and flaunting its ample talent on strummy singalongs like 'Just About Time.'
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Hills and Valleys is exactly what a fan of the Flatlanders will expect. The songwriting is solid, but not always remarkable. The musicianship is tasteful and flawless.
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Hills and Valleys, their third studio album since reuniting in the late '90s, holds zero surprises--mixing Tex-Mex bounce, outlaw twang, and folkie sincerity--but it feels utterly right, like your favorite greasy meal at the local diner.
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MojoMore than great, this is well worth hearing for the Tex Mex No Way I'll Never Need You, Lone Star barroom rocker Just About Time, beautifully-sung After The Storm, and state-of-the nation border ballad Homeland Refugee. [May 2009, p.101]