Welcome to Yesterday’s Jukebox! In our newest, monthly column, we’ll take a retrospective gaze through a wide selection of disparate genres and artist discographies (particularly those with a sizeable back catalogue), with a keen eye for the deep cuts, hidden gems, and certified bangers. To kick things off, we’re starting with alt-country rockers Lucero. Let’s do it!
“Kiss the Bottle” – The Attic Tapes (2000)
Recorded during the band’s late-’90s inception, “Kiss The Bottle” was included in the 2006 reissue of Lucero’s debut album, The Attic Tapes. The Jawbreaker cover serves as the perfect introduction to the driving thesis behind Lucero’s two-decade-long career, a distinctly Memphisian synthesis of soul, rock, and country, delivered with a punk-rock attitude. (Fun fact: prior to Lucero, frontman Ben Nichols played bass and sang in ’90s, pop-punk outfit Red Forty.)
“Raising Hell” – Lucero (2001)
With a sharper and more pronounced country sound, the band’s self-titled record cemented their signature alt-country sound which they’d come to refine on future albums. A fun ode to Nichol’s younger brother, “Raising Hell” calls out to all the hard-drinkers, free spirits, and young idealists one meets along the way to growing up.
“Here at the Starlite” – Tennessee (2002)
It might seem weird to throw this particular track in the mix, especially off a record that contains fan must-haves like “Slow Dancing” and “Fistful of Tears,” but hear me out. Pushing past seven minutes in length, “Here at the Starlite” is about as sullen and bluesy as Lucero gets. It feels like someone trying to write Jimmy Eat World’s Charity closer “Goodbye Sky Harbor” after smoking two packs of Camels and a bottle of Jack Daniels.
“Across The River” – That Much Further West (2003)
Less a love song and more of a forlorn break-up ballad, “Across The River” shimmers with plaintive guitar melodies, resonant organ, and Nichols’ raspy delivery.
“Sixteen” – Nobody’s Darlings (2005)
With many fan-favorites stacked up in the track list, Nobody’s Darlings is likely the ‘rawest’ Lucero record in terms of tone and lyricism. Stripped back and honest, each track feels like a page torn directly from Nichols’ personal diary. “Sixteen” might seem like an odd choice, but with its Replacements-name-checking chorus, it hits like a conversation overheard, out of context and yet strangely familiar.
“I Can Get Us Out of Here” – Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers (2006)
Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers represents the modern ‘pivot’ in Lucero’s sound, where Nichols’ raspy vocals finally find a more welcoming gruff timbre, Rick Steff comes onboard for piano, organ, and accordion, and the band’s songwriting improves in leaps and bounds with every subsequent release. “I Can Get Us Out of Here” is the clear album standout, being the closest the Memphis boys have gotten to kicking out a bonafide, Springsteen-level, Americana folk-rock classic.
“Sixes and Sevens” – 1372 Overton Park (2009)
With producer Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem) onboard for their major-label debut, there’s a real sense of confidence and swagger on 1372 Overton Park. Described by Nichols as one of the band’s more “aggressive” records, tracks like “Sixes and Sevens” practically ooze Southern charm and charisma, with a lively horn section and Brian Venable’s sizzling guitar leads.
“Sometimes” – Women & Work (2012)
This record finds Lucero switching things up from their well-trodden alt-country sound to a more soulful, rock ‘n’ roll feel, and oh boy, does the change fit like a glove. Nichols has since gone on the record to say that Women & Work is perhaps the least representative of the band’s career, which may be true for saloon honky-tonk; however, one can’t deny how arresting Nichols’ storytelling remains. And, if you don’t believe me, give “Sometimes” a whirl and try not to get choked up.
“Union Pacific Line” – Lucero: Live from Atlanta (2014)
With two discs and a whopping 32 tracks, Live From Atlanta is—for me anyway—the definitive Lucero release. Pulling from the entire back catalogue and rendered in gorgeous live detail, each track generates a rich atmosphere and transports the band straight into the listener’s brain, like an intimate stage show for one. Named after the Transcontinental Railroad that cut westward across the U.S. from deep within the heart of Nebraska, “Union Pacific Line” is a beautiful tune, that rests on sorrowful horns and Steff’s lush piano.
“Throwback No. 2” – All a Man Should Do (2015)
In a marked return to their earnest folk style, All a Man Should Do finds Lucero flexing their emotional muscles. “Throwback No. 2” is a swinging, slow-burning number that evokes images of smoke-filled lounges, thick, velvet curtains, and a chorus of morose yet harmless bar-flys quietly bopping along in approval.
“To My Dearest Wife” – Among the Ghosts (2018)
Pulling from real-world letters written by Civil War-era soldiers, “To My Dearest Wife” is Lucero at their most affecting and heartfelt. Taking a detour from his usual confessional mode, Nichols renders the melancholy and loneliness of life on the frontlines, the aching for loved ones, and the yearning to be home safe and sound once more.
“Loving (2016 Demo)” – Before the Ghosts: Acoustic Demos and Other Ideas (2019)
Taken from the soundtrack to Loving (2016), the critically acclaimed biographical drama film directed by Nichols’ brother Jeff, this acoustic rendition of an Among The Ghosts deep cut is absolutely gut-wrenching and bittersweet in expressing both the pain of devotion and resignation.
“Good as Gone” – When You Found Me (2021)
Taking Lucero’s full-length discography into a new and uncertain decade, When You Found Me is a sleek and stylish turn for the group. Energized by electric riffs, booming percussion, vocal processing on Nichol’s sharp hooks, and glitzy synthesizers, “Good as Gone” feels like something The Afghan Whigs would have made in the 2010s. It’s a smart and catchy alt-rock banger, perfect for reeling in new audiences.
Stream all of the above tracks on the Yesterday’s Jukebox Spotify playlist here.
Lucero’s latest album, When You Found Me, is out now through Liberty & Lament/Thirty Tigers. Stream or purchase the record here.
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