The simple fact is, some bands are better when they’re in the studio and some are better out on a stage.  Ray LaMontagne literally made me squirm at a show given how obviously uncomfortable he was on the stage.  Carrie Rodriguez has never managed to capture the magic of her stage charisma on a record. I was trying to reconcile this as I listened to the latest album from Austin-based Sour Bridges.  I think one of the requirements for live greatness is a broad repertoire so you can feed off the audience.  That broadness is really evident in this self-titled release and probably why they’re known for their shows.
Several tunes have a clear rock and roll bent and inspire what the band calls browngrass–a dirtier form of bluegrass. Â Cocaine Lorraine leads off with some cowpunk sounds and a charge to “dust off the jar, and put some whisky in thar.” Â Teddy stylizes a story about working on the Panama canal. Â Mr. Read It goes a little further stylistically and puts out a Tom Waits vibe.
As far as the recorded disc goes, though, my favorites were all slower country waltzes. Â Southeastern Corner could have been a follow on for Jason Isbell, painting the picture of being on the wrong side of the tracks with a subtle-but-sweet touch of trumpet and kettle drum. Â Meet You There is perhaps the ultimate autobiographical number for a musician with the observation that “there’s a place in my heart for the ones that I love, there’s a hole in my head where the music comes from.” Â Just to prove my comment about broad styles and that the exception defines the rules, the disc finishes with an untitled, almost a cappella, little ditty with just percussion for emphasis.
 There’s a big variety of styles on Sour Bridges, but all of it maintains a necessary thread to still feel like an album.  And if you just hit play, I practically guarantee by 4 or 5 songs into it you’ll have found a song that quickly gets tagged as a favorite.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.