Roger Clyne

While 2004's Americano saw the Peacemakers stomping their way through an earnest blend of Southwestern roots rock and evocative storytelling, No More Beautiful World finds them taking an extended siesta. Gone are the earnest ballads, the rock & roll swagger, and the storybook sparkle of Roger Clyne's lyrics. Filling that empty hole is a newfound appreciation for Jimmy Buffett, with a healthy scoop of Mexican flavor thrown into the mix. As a result, No More Beautiful World is a lighthearted and breezy record; even when Clyne takes on the lackluster president, he does so with a tongue-in-cheek approach, rechristening the Bush Administration "the goon squad" while bright guitars chime beneath him. Elsewhere, he sings about Mexico's drug trade (the corrido-meets-pop song "Contraband"), examines America's love for material excess ("Plenty"), and -- in one of the album's wittiest moments -- delivers a fictional narrative in which a pair of Special Ops soldiers decide to abandon their post and take an extended vacation ("Wake Up Call"). The band is in fine form, particularly lead guitarist Steve Larson, who crafts a signature tone with his love for reverb and whammy-bar vibrato. Bassist Nick Scropos makes his studio debut with the band, having joined the lineup immediately after Americano's release, and drummer P.H. Naffah is as solidly precise as ever. Nevertheless, No More Beautiful World has too many languid songs to measure up to its predecessor, and the album ends up being a suitable soundtrack for a summer day spent drinking margaritas in an inflatable swimming pool chair. Perhaps that's exactly what the band wanted it to be, and who would fault a group whose relentless touring schedule and D.I.Y. ethic embodies the spirit of independent rock & roll? Roger Clyne is still one of the most talent singer/songwriters in the American underground, but No More Beautiful World simply isn't his best work, and a handful of solid songs can't quench one's thirst for something on par with Americano. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide