Few bands evoke a sense of place in the same way Next 2 The Tracks can. As I listen to their EP, Caballo De Lumbre, I can only think of the cloudless turquoise skies and sun-kissed highways of the band’s native Southwest.
Next 2 The Tracks combines powerful pop melodies with some Southwestern swagger and a Latino sensibility. Though their bio cites Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, and The Black Crowes as influences, I’d really put the band in solid Roger Clyne territory. Not unlike Jo Wymer, Next 2 The Tracks has taken the core elements of ’80s rock — strong melodies and driving riffs — and shaped a distinctive voice around it. And from me, that means a lot, because I despise most ’80s music.
This is springtime music, meant to be listened to with a Mexican beer in one hand, a taco in the other, and good friends nearby. Those big ol’ smiles in their photo are not fake — I honestly don’t think it’s possible to stay in a bad mood after listening to Caballo De Lumbre.