Jeremy Porter & the Tucos - Above the Sweet Tea Line

​Jeremy Porter & the Tucos

​Above the Sweet Tea Line
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Jeremy Porter & The Tucos play a distinct flavor of rock that lies somewhere between Ted Nugent, Wilco and Cheap Trick. It’s a good ole boy style of rock that you surely have probably heard before but still sounds good.

The songs on their latest release Above the Sweet Tea Line are catchy, well produced and also fairly straightforward. Their no frills style of rock isn’t on the cusp of reinventing rock and often feels like a tip of the hat to artists that have come before. That being said the band is still able to sculpt their own sound with the subtleties and nuances of the music. 

The album opens with “Josh” which feels like classic Americana rock more aligned with an artist like John Mellencamp. There is an instant “classic” feel to it where you can tell people would like to hear this song live. The song blasts through a number of tropes which are pleasant enough but also predictable. “Bottled Regrets” is a little more grounded than the opener and aligns with more of an indie rock vibe in the spirit of Wilco or The Shins. 

“Elimination Round” is another solid song. At first I thought I was in for a country song but it ended up sounding closer to Cheap Trick. The drumming is top notch on this track along with the lead guitar. The band goes back to a pure American feel with “Knocked Out Cold” while “Hey Kentucky” is an upbeat, festive song that is more or less a perfect drinking song. They close with “Long Story,” “Sounds like Goodbye” which sounds like a Fountains of Wayne song and the sparse “Sleepy Eyes.”

There isn’t a whole lot of guesswork with Above the Sweet Tea Line. By the time you get to the third song you should have a decent grasp if this is your “cup of tea.” Overall, I think this album will resonate with a broad demographic that a lot of people will appreciate.

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