Villains: a ray of sunshine in today's murk

THE VILLAINS; "The Villains" (DCM) ★★★

The Villains started out as a one-time collaboration with Nashville session musicians and blossomed into a fresh group that could be in the same category as early Eagles, Jimmy Buffett and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Keyboardist Magno, bassist Dan Call (owner of DCM Records), drummer Sean McNalley and guitarists Mike Wilkes, Alan Schaefer and Jimmy James Schmitt — collectively known as the Villains — released the group's self-titled debut last week, and there isn't a bad seed in the track listing.

The life-loving arrangements of the opening track "Let's Forget About It Tonight" sets the tone for the eight bright and optimistic tunes that fill this CD.

With sing-a-long harmonies, easy-going guitars and highlighted with some Hammond organ, songs such as "Just Another Saturday Night," "Party's Over" and "Going Deaf for a Living" are like a ray of sunshine that breaks through the cloudy murk of the angst-filled music scene these days.

The mellow notes of "You Don't Have to Say" and "Where We Began" reach back to the '70s country-rock sound of Southern California.

And, to be honest, the most country sounding of the bunch is the closing track, "Who Do You Run To?"

"The Villains" is for listeners who are tired of the overplayed classic singles airing on most country and classic-rock stations these days.

e-mail: scott@desnews.com