The successsion "It's Never Too .." will do without a doubt, because the six piece band from Joliet, Illinois bring a very catchy mix of traditional country, alt.country, folk, bluegrass, rock. Brent James, vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica and Phil Lazzari, volcals, mandolin, acoustic & electric gt take care of most of the songs even though the ladies Karen Moats, percussion, vocals and Allison Moroni, vocals, acoustic gt. also give their part to the party. Only the classic song "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" of Hank Williams was good enough to be covered (splendid). Buddy Miller, Camper Van Beethoven, Calexio, Gillian Welch are put in the picture as very special inspiration sources even though I have to agree with Jamey Darmold on My Space Music when he says that The Cowboys Junkies also could be considered. Songs as "Hot Tar & Rain", "Time Well Spent", "Under The Sleeve" are very close to the hobbyclub of the Fam. Timmins. Yet The Stone City Stragglers succeeded to build their own identity a little further, for instance the instrumentals "It's Never Too Late" and "The Uprising", the a-capella start and the harmony sung together on "Freakshow Addiction", the adding of a nice organ with "I Fell Numb", the judicious use of an accordion at "Time Will Spent" and "Hot Tar & Rain" shows. With "Comfort the Drug" the SCS have a potential radiohit, "Big River Blues" would have been a millionseller for Fleetwood Mac and with a song like "Magnolia" more than half of the americana world would be pleased. "Six Feet Under" is a nice hearing bluegrass song, and "White Collar Men" and "Piece of The Pie" the SCS is delicious rocking and made us decide that the album "It's Never Too Late To Mend" is a direct hit. Furthermore there was a lot of attention to the artwork of the digi-pack where the printed skeletons don't let one think of death and sadness but are symbolic for the re-birth of live, love and respect.

totally enjoyed it, artwork is interesting as well