The Mystiqueros (Walt Wilkins, John Greenberg, Marcus Eldridge, Bill Small, Ramon Rodriguez) have copious amounts of genuine talent and charismatic charm. The formula for their success is really no mystery, however. Their instrumental work is solidly grounded around electric guitars, bass and drums. The guest appearance of the album’s producer Lloyd Maines on steel, mandolin and guitar also elevates this disc to a higher level of country rocking ebullience.

The Mystiqueros also showcase excellent songwriters and vocalists. Wilkins is the most prolific writer and had a hand in seven of the 12 tracks on this 48-minute album. With various other albums out, his songs have been covered by the likes of Pat Green, Ricky Skaggs, Ty Herndon, and Pam Tillis. “Trains I Missed” is an infectious song with intelligent words and a savvy arrangement. “Just Like Hank,” Wilkins pours his heart out as he sings sad tunes, howls at the moon, and plays his old box just like the legendary country singer and songwriter did. To understand the meaning behind “Stand Up Seven,” you only need to know the words that precede the song title: “bow down six times.” Small wrote the mellower title cut, “Diamonds in the Sun,” that maintains a vision for hope in the shadows of unfulfilled dreams. Greenberg penned “Red River Blues” that has some splendid vocal harmonies and evocative guitar.

The three covers come from Jaimie Robbie Robertson, Davis Raines, and Ray Stephenson/Bob Dipiero. Robertson’s “The Shape I’m In” is a down-and-out treatise on having no dough and nowhere to go. From Raines, I’m sure the band’s affinity for “Big Shiny Cars” is because of the imagery that the song creates about the hurdles that a band faces on its way up.

Building their reputation and notoriety in the Texas dance halls, the band might just best relate to the latter songwriting team’s “Honky-Tonk Road” as the band sings “the lights get hot, but the beer is cold.”  Soulful country music is what The Mysteriqueros are all about. They’re really not so enigmatic. With good material and solid musicianship, they’re simply one of the hippest bands to come out of Texas in quite some time. (Joe Ross)