ATO

Since their songs appear on the radio alongside The Black Keys, Lucero should be a popular altcountry band, But the Memphis, Tenn. group, whose self-titled debut came out in 2001, has spent much of their career playing in the punk scene, touring as frequently with bands like Social Distortion as they have with the Drive-By Truckers. And certainly, there’s a punk rock aesthetic that threads through some of Lucero’s tracks – as well as their brash live performances – but Women & Work, the band’s eighth album, is fully countrified with a bluesy twang racing through its rollicking songs. The title track, in particular, embodies a rousing Southern feel, with piano bounding alongside the plunking guitar lines as frontman Ben Nichols howls over the top. The country ballads are here, too: “When I Was Young” is like Southern Bruce Springsteen, while closer “Go Easy” is gritty and reflective.