Refreshments Bottle & Fresh Horses CD

For their second album, the Refreshments decided to move away from the smirk-rock that made their debut effort Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (specifically its caper-chronicling single, "Banditos") a minor hit. With the assistance of producer Paul Leary -- who helped his own band, Butthole Surfers, crack the Top 40 charts one year prior -- the group began blending rock & roll songraft with elements of alt. country and jangle pop. Tracks like "Wanted" and "Preacher's Daughter" spun tales of western outlaws with poppy precision -- including handclaps, vocal harmonies, and crisp guitars -- while "Dolly" and "Good Year" were finely crafted rock songs that went sorely unnoticed on modern rock radio. Although The Bottle & Fresh Horses effectively marked the end of the Refreshments, the album still encouraged frontman Roger Clyne to stretch his country legs, an opportunity that would soon serve him well with the follow-up project Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers. Likeminded groups like the Old 97's enjoyed some degree of success with the very same hybrid of rock, country, and pop, but The Bottle & Fresh Horses unfortunately failed to maintain the Refreshments' presence in the post-grunge landscape. Accordingly, consider this record one of the strongest forgotten gems of its time. ~ Andrew Leahey

The Refreshments: Roger Clyne (vocals); Brian Blush (guitar); Buddy Edwards (bass); P.H. Naffah (drums).

Recarded at: Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas; 4th Street Studio, Santa Monica, California.