The first few bars of "Old Man Lonely," the opening track on The Cruzarz's So True, show hints of promise--rough but clean-sounding guitar and monotone bass. But as soon as the groaning vocals pour over the music, all is lost in poorly-written lyrics and sour vocal delivery. Consider the first few lines: "Old man lonely, Old man blue / Old man sittin' thinkin' of you / Help me, baby, Help me please / I'm down here on my knees...." It's hard to bounce back from such a disappointing, cliche opening, and, unfortunately, the rest of the album leaves little hope for an emergence of well-crafted lyrics or expanded audio adventures. Sadly, the guitar, bass and drum sounds are Xeroxed throughout, as if the band got "their sound" and never touched the studio knobs until the session was over. The lyrics leave much to be desired and rely too much on unoriginal repeated phrases. ("The Promise," for instance, falls back to the word, "No," 28 times.)
Anyone who is leery of old dudes in shades toting guitars should steer clear. It's obvious these are sincere musical ministers, but many (young rock fans in particular) may not be hip to their wavelength. But if you enjoy basic rock like you might hear at your local Midwestern bar--except with a Christian twist--take a ride with the Cruzarz.
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