Mike Hererra's Tumbledown

As much as many punk fans are loathe to admit, there is not a huge difference between the sensibilities of punk and country.

Now bear with me a moment; I’m not talking about the polished pop image of what’s known as today’s young country stars. I’m talking about the seedy, dirty outlaw country from old timers like Johnny Cash, and younger faces like Hank III. When it comes down to it, whats more punk rock than shooting a man “just to watch him die” (in song, not literally of course)?

So, that’s what makes cowpunk so easy to stomach for me. Cowpunk bands like the Waco Brothers or Nothington are an easy transition, as is it when a punk musician like MXPX frontman Mike Herrera decides to do a country album.

The album opens with the fast-paced “Let’s Drink,” a song that shows just how well Herrera’s brand of pop punk blends into country. It’s twangy, yet maintains the punchiness of pop punk riffs.

That song sets a tone for the rest of the record. Over and over he replicates this seamless transition. “The Butcher of San Antone” is a dirty, crunchy anthem to a vigilante that features a smoky duet with Nicole Pike of the rockabilly band Wreckin' Machine, and “Came Here To Fight” could easily be a straight-up punk classic, were the twang toned down a tiny bit. “Secondhand High” is a dirty rocker of a tune with a heavy nod to the Supesuckers, and “My Sweet Darling Dear” is another perfectly written pop punk song with country-fried guitars laid thinly atop a driving punk drum beat.

At only one point does MXPX’s slick pop production transfer over to the album too well. “Movin’ On” is a bit too slick and well produced, and comes across too much like the young country that is too slick to share a namesake with its progenitors. But for the most part, Tumbledown is a nice collection of seedy honky tonk tunes and straight up cowpunk jams that will appeal both to diehard cowpunk fans and to MXPX fans who are just testing out the waters with apprehension and a slight fear of country.

Release date: May 19, 2009