It’s nice to find a hole-in-the wall dive with one of those jukeboxes, the kind that has all your favorite songs and indulges every guilty pleasure. That’s what I found in The Last Straw’s debut effort, Brought to Life.

From Clapton to AC/DC to .38 Special to Mountain to Bo Diddley, you name it. They know their history and have the chops to pull off something more than a glorified

cover album.

I had a lot of hope for an album with song titles like “She Don’t Love You,” “You Betta’ Believe” and “Rock ’N’ Roll Queen.” I was mostly satisfied, because I recognized the influences and felt safe in revisiting well-traveled territory. What disappointed me, however, was the anonymity that such direct and blatant homage affords. After a couple of listens, I still feel as if I don’t know much about this band.

Kyle Daniel has one of the best Southern Gospel voices I’ve heard in a while, but he can still deliver some bluesy jive when the occasion arises. With Adam Botner’s swirling B-3 it’s easy to see how The Last Straw conjures Allman and Doobie Brethren alike. Package that with blistering guitar from both Quincey Meeks and Daniel you have a pretty solid outfit, one I’m sure I’d appreciate even more in a live setting.

For what is a band profited, if it shall gain the whole world, and lose its soul?

The Last Straw has plenty of “soul,” but it doesn’t have much of an identity apart from the baggage inherent in their genre and influences. It’s Budweiser, it’s Jack Daniels, it’s Wal-Mart, it’s Chevrolet. It’s the lowest common denominator?very well executed.

Even so, I think the real heirs of Southern rock music are bands like the Black Diamond Heavies and Lucero.