Chock Full of Country Goodness

Though founding member Butch McDade sadly succumbed to cancer in November 1998, the remaining Aces have chosen to press on with 1999's Chock Full. Dedicated to McDade, the album would surely have pleased their fallen leader with its appealing blend of tastefulness and mirth, a blend that defined the Aces in their heyday. Combining Southern rock and soul with traditional country, the Aces show a firm command of a variety of settings: honky-tonk stomps, expressive ballads, jazzy Ray Price-style shuffles, Bakersfield truck-driving romps, gritty R&B. Russell Smith's voice has taken on an assured depth and a grainy soulfulness, and the band's playing is tight throughout. Sure, there are a handful of forgettable songs, but the many highlights recall the fine work of genre fusers like Commander Cody, not to mention vintage ARA as well. --Marc Greilsamer