This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Lessee, there’s the bodacious female singer. There’s the hunky cowboy guitarist with the male-model stubble. And there’s the lanky bassist with the wacky glasses and hat. Hell, you’d have to be Stevie Wonder not to see that Trick Pony were tailor-made for the country video market.
Thankfully, though, their sophomore album On A Mission lets you know they’re more than just the latest batch of mass-marketed musical eye candy. For one thing, one or another of ’em co-wrote most of these dozen tracks — and did a pretty fair job of it on twangy little numbers like Love Is A Ball and Hillbilly Blues. For another, that female singer with the big voice — Heidi Newfield, if you’re interested — plays herself a pretty mean blues harp. And for a third, they know enough to keep enough rough edges in their music that it sounds more real than the rest of the overproduced glop coming outta Nashville lately. If their goal was to prove that you can make New Country without disrespecting Old Country, well, mission accomplished.
