REVIEW: Truck Stop Love, How I Spent My Summer Vacation

(Backyard Records)

- Linda Scott

Heard of the growing Midwestern music scene and sound? Four of its founders are Truck Stop Love and hail from the rural town of Manhattan, Kansas. How I Spent My Summer Vacation shows Truck Stop Love doing that Midwest sound with its unique blend of punk, country and rock. The band is: Eric Melin on drums, Brad Hehmann on bass and vocals, Matt Mozier on guitar and vocals, Rick Yarges on guitar and vocals.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation is the band's first full length album, co-produced by Big Star alum Jody Stephens and Jeff Powell (Afghan Whigs, Primal Scream, Alex Chilton). Band members credit Big Star as one of their influences along with Husker Du and Hank Williams. With such diverse musical influences, you might wonder what the music sounds like. Like their Minnesotan contemporaries, the Jayhawks, the album has country tracks, hard rock tracks and even a punk rock track or two. Some tracks blend all or two of these styles together, but for the most part the listener will have no problem identifying musical style by track. There are pure country rock songs like "Whiskey Waltz", "Other Stairs" (where the harmonious style is a further Jayhawks reminder) and "Walton's Mountain" (where John Boy, Jim Bob and Grandma live). Other tracks like "Bitter Boy", "You Owe" and the title track are hard rockers with "Benny" and "Carolina's Eyes" being more alternative or punk. Can't forget to mention a hidden thirteenth track, an acoustic Stephens/Mazier duet.

Truck Stop Love is representative of the new Midwestern musicians who combine country with other styles. How I Spent My Summer Vacation is a good one if you like an album featuring country, rock, punk. The lyrics and style don't quite match up to the Jayhawks, but you can't go wrong with this impressive album from Truck Stop Love.