Roger Clyne’s music and I go way back to the days in the 90’s when the Refreshments were playing at the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe, Arizona. Their independently and locally released ‘Wheelie’ CD was played by me constantly when it was released. The band made the leap to Mercury Records, where they released two albums but somehow never found the wide commercial success they deserved. Nationally, the Gin Blossoms had broken through, and it seemed like the diversity of awesome bands in Arizona at the time was never really acknowledged by others outside of Arizona. Bands that got lumped into the Gin Blossoms box, if you will, included Dead Hot Workshop, the Pistoleros, and the Refreshments. None of these bands struggled to find their own identity, though. After the Refreshments went their separate ways, Roger Clyne and P.H. Naffah formed Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (RCPM), where they embraced some honky tonk and country into their Refreshments DNA for their first album. Ensuing albums would find the band continuing to expand their sound to build an awesome musical catalogue of rock songs with all types of musical accents from the U.S. Southwest. ‘Hell to Breakfast’ is the band’s 9th studio album as RCPM and first since ‘Native Heart’ back in 2017. I have seen interviews with Clyne where he talked about the process of finding inspiration to write this album and discovering what he now has to say as a writer. He and the band have assembled an album that hits the sweet spot and connects with me the most since their ‘Americano’ album from 2004.
Kicking off with the rock n roll flavoured ‘Fireflies’ serves as a great start to the album with Clyne’s witty lyrics on full display before the huge chorus explodes. This song would have sounded just as at home on a Refreshments’ record as it does here. The transition to ‘American Drugs’ works great, as this one contains hints of the ‘Americano’ album and tells an awesome story from down near the Arizona/ Mexico border. The tempo is slowed, and I can see this one being very popular in the live set. ‘You Got Lightning’ is another instant hook into the brain and one of the up-tempo songs from the album. My favourite line from the song is ‘while you feel like a b-side, always spinning face down.’
The diversity amongst the songs and approaches serves as a strength to the album for me. The tempo slows down again for both songs at the end of the first side of the album. ‘Sleepin’ With My Rifle’ is one of my favourite songs from the album, with another narrative-filled lyric. Trumpet is always a welcome addition to an RCPM song, and this is no exception. The musical breaks and the way the chorus flows at the end are simply perfection. ‘Sail Into Silver’ switches to acoustics with lyrics that hit the soul very powerfully at my age. The melody is beautiful, and it provides a great end to the first half of the album.
‘Special Guest ‘ gets us back to the rocking material with a song that I think will be extremely powerful live. The chorus simply explodes out of the speakers. Next up is the first song released from the album back at the end of 2025, and one that has become one of my all-time favorites by the band- ‘Agua Caliente.’ This one is as catchy as a wave of tumbleweeds across a New Mexico mesa. The trumpets and Mexican influences are divine. Growing up in New Mexico and Arizona, I could play this song for a stranger and say this is what home sounds like for me. The band changes gears with ‘Getaway’ which could be more of a challenge in a live setting, depending on the venue’s acoustics, with the long-sustained guitar notes that provide the backdrop of the song. This one has Shelby Stone dueting with Clyne to great effect.
Reaching the final turn of the album, ‘Wake Up Whistlin’ slows the tempo back down again with some acoustic guitars, but also some twists and turns. This one has been a real grower over the past couple of months. I love the way the piano notes close out the song. Closing out the album is the uniquely titled ‘Yeh Shoobeh’, where the band locks into a midtempo groove and a catchy chorus. While I don’t know if the band could ever top ‘Nada’ or ‘Leave an Open Door’ as an album closer, this one works perfectly for this album.
For me, this album has connected with me the most since their ‘Americano’ album, with my biggest complaint being that they have gone the old school route of 10 songs in under 40 minutes. Simply put, if you are an RCPM fan or Refreshments’ fan, this one should have already been added to your collection. If you have never heard the band, this also serves as a great starting point, and I don’t think you can say that about records from bands that have been playing for a few decades. Here’s to Life!
‘Hell to Breakfast’ is available now. Buy Here
Author: Gerald Stansbury
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