Los Lonely Boys: Sacred : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

These three Texican brothers went multiplatinum with their 2004 debut, Los Lonely Boys, which packed tight Santana jams, Latin tinges and mild grit into sweet little pop songs. Sacred stays true to the debut: There's a fuller sound, but most songs are full of session-men chops plus either pristine harmonies or tough-guy 'tude. The brothers Garza don't have much pizazz, or a whole lot to say: Even the most aggressive stuff, like the horn-specked "My Way," presents blues rock of the sort you can find at any roadhouse, and the cloudy-headed "One More Day" is vague, sub-James Taylor lite pop. What saves Sacred from forgettability is its pragmatic tune sense and rock-solid playing, which renders charmers like "Memories" kind of admirable and could make skeptics pump their fists a little -- if they've downed enough Corona.